Hyperdimension Neptunia Nightmares
by WrestleCrazyGamer
Summary: Neptune is challenged to a duel by a mysterious swordsman. He proves to be far superior to any foe she's ever fought, and loses. Histoire thinks fast and saves her by coming up with a fake marriage clause. The other goddesses then find their own situations regarding men. The facade with Neptune doesn't last forever, and the original goddess awakens... with a dark ambition.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 01: The Nightmare of Planeptune

Mountains of monster corpses lay about a barren wasteland as a masculine man with long dark brown hair that's braided and has blood red eyes wearing the uniform of a Warrior Priest, black combat boots built for all terrain, black pants that are loose yet tight, a sleeveless black turtleneck, a loose-fitting red robe with gold trim, black gloves, and an earring signifying his oath to the law, stood looking at his blood-stained oversized claymore. He wore a very annoyed expression as he turned and began to walk toward the west.

"Not strong… not strong at all… is there truly no limit to my growth?" he grumbled to himself.

He heard giggles and looked into the air seeing Lady Purple Heart flying overhead. A grin came to his face as he saw her fly. An idea came to him…

"Of course… the goddesses of the continents are supposed to be the most powerful beings around, given they have enough shares… I just might be able to satiate this void in my heart if I fight her… yes… then maybe I can finally rest…" he grinned ecstatically.

So he wrote the Basilicom a formal Letter of Challenge, and had it delivered via courier pigeon, as is typical of Warrior Priests. At the Basilicom Nepgear had just returned from shopping when the pigeon arrived delivering the letter to her.

"A letter for sis? Wonder what it is this time." Nepgear pondered taking it inside.

Nepgear asked Neptune to kindly clean her room up a little bit while she was gone. It was very obvious that she had not moved an inch from her bed, and was out cold. Angrily, Nepgear shook her awake.

"Sis! Wake up! You've got mail." Nepgear called to her.

"Huh? Wuzzat?" Neptune spoke groggily.

"Mail." Nepgear again told her handing the letter to her.

"Betcha it's from that Lolita Fan Club again. I don't do frilly cosplay." Neptune complained opening the letter and reading it.

The letter read thus, "Dear Goddess Neptune, I hereby challenge you to a one-on-one duel. We will be alone, and will be allowed one weapon of choice and no more. You will pick the witness. I will be waiting in the wastes of the east." and brought a grin to Neptune's face.

"A duel, huh? Not often I'm challenged to one of those. Odd, there's no signature or anything though." Neptune observed.

"It came by courier pigeon." Nepgear explained.

"Well, best not to keep them waiting. Bet it's Noire wanting a rematch." Neptune joked walking to the front where Histoire was waiting.

"Neptune, you're actually going outside? Of your free will?" Histoire spoke shocked.

"Histy, perfect, I need you to be the witness to my duel." Neptune replied.

"Witness? You're accepting another duel?!" Histoire spoke shocked.

"Come on, Histy, it's obviously some shmuck who thinks anyone can swing a blade and win. What're the odds of me losing?" Neptune chuckled.

"Fine… but if you go and accept… you're agreeing to their terms this time." she grumbled.

"Ah, it'll be fine." Neptune assured her, and off they went.

In the wastes the man was leaning on the only tree for miles. As Neptune and Histoire arrived he opened his eyes to look at them and stood up. Histoire became nervous the minute she saw him.

"You are the one who challenged Neptune?" Histoire spoke shakily.

"It's a dude. Rare that happens in this universe." Neptune joked.

"I am Weiss Winters… am I to understand this is Lady Purple Heart?" he asked.

"You bet I am." Neptune replied transforming into Purple Heart, to which Weiss grinned sending chills up Histoire's spine.

"How interesting. Well, do you accept my challenge?" Weiss asked.

"Indeed. Name your terms for this duel." Purple Heart maturely stated.

"We'll be using the standard rules for a duel. One on one, one weapon allotted, and the victor decides the fate of their opponent. Including the right to kill them. As per protocol of those rules, we take thirty paces and begin." Weiss replied with a cold stare.

"I accept." Purple Heart replied with a smile, but Histoire was terribly nervous. She'd begun to piece together who Weiss was.

The two began their paces and Histoire began to panic seeing Weiss's blade, which is unique in that the model he uses is no longer manufactured on any of the continents. Once the two reached their last pace, they turned and ran at each other drawing their weapons to clash sending shockwaves across the area. Weiss kept up with Purple Heart with ease blocking and countering her blade showing great footwork and skill despite his blade's size. Even Purple Heart realized that he was no ordinary opponent and began to take it seriously.

Weiss's eyes were cold and unforgiving as they analyzed Purple Heart at every second of the fight. He was waiting for her to make a mistake, and she eventually did in an attempt to break the deadlock. He purposely dodged a thrust at a narrow margin risking taking a bad injury if he slipped up. He then twirled around her and kicked her back sending her forward. Purple Heart grew angry making her blade glow with energy.

"Cross Slash!" Purple Heart cried as she unleashed her attack, and Weiss dodged as close to the attack as he could get making his blade glow red.

"Crushing Strike." Weiss spoke as he swung.

Purple Heart blocked, but his blade then sent a heavy pulse of kinetic force through it making it crack up where his blade connected as it sent her flying. She was legitimately afraid of him now. Not even Plutia had the physical strength to crack her weapon. She had little time to think, as Weiss was already upon her and ready to strike. This forced her on the defensive being wary of her damaged weapon. The compensation made her blocks sloppy as she took cuts and nicks here and there. She wasn't prepared for a competitor like this. Was this the skill of a Warrior Priest?

"Crushing Blow!" Weiss roared swinging again slicing through Purple Heart's blade making a large bloody wound on her torso as it sent her flying. She crashed into a boulder exploding it as the top half of her blade stabbed into the ground. Histoire was biting her fingernails now. She knew that it was over after that, and that he intended completely to kill Neptune.

Histoire had to think fast, how could she save Neptune? Weiss wouldn't spare her because she asked, and he isn't a god so he couldn't be offered the position to dissuade him from killing her. Then a wildcard idea came to her head. Marriage! If there's a clause stating that if a goddess is defeated by an eligible suitor, someone of legal marrying age in other words, in one on one combat they must wed, then Neptune would be saved! In a panic she flew over to Neptune writing in her book feverishly to get the clause in there so she couldn't be caught in her excuse. In a matter of minutes Weiss would be upon them.

"What are you doing?" Weiss asked narrowing his gaze.

"Y-You won, right? I'm just helping you claim your prize!" Histoire exclaimed trying not to be intimidated.

"Oh? Then move aside." Weiss ordered.

"Wait! You can't kill your bride!" Histoire blurted, and Weiss was genuinely dumbfounded.

"Bride?" he asked confused.

"Yes. Bride. You didn't know? If you duel a goddess, it's essentially asking for her hand in marriage. S-So I look forward to planning the wedding with you." Histoire spoke through her teeth. Weiss took a step back trying to register what he's just been told.

"So you're telling me… the ultimate test of my strength… has resulted in me being engaged?" Weiss asked, and Histoire feverishly nodded with a sheepish smile.

"That's right! You'll get married, Lady Purple Heart's last name will change to yours, and you may or may not have kids. The having kids part is up to you and her. Whatever you decide, you have to get married." Histoire spoke breaking a cold sweat.

"Very well. There's no point in refuting a law of the land." Weiss sighed sheathing his blade, much to Histoire's relief.

Histoire had Weiss carry the unconscious and wounded Neptune back to the Basilicom. Many people in Planeptune City were absolutely baffled by the sight of a mysterious man carrying their wounded goddess through town.

When Weiss entered the Basilicom with Histoire, Nepgear ran to the doorway excited… but her expression turned to horror seeing the looming six-foot Weiss carrying Neptune. He took her to the bathroom where he began addressing Neptune's injuries with great care. Nepgear was so afraid she could only watch as he dressed her sisters' injuries and carried her to the bedroom where he changed her into pajamas before tucking her in. Weiss then turned to Nepgear, prompting her to go pale.

"You. Keep an eye on her. I don't want her agitating those injuries." Weiss ordered, and Nepgear could only nod as he walked out of the bedroom. Histoire was close behind him.

"If I know Neptune, she'll want something to eat as soon as she wakes up. So why make something for her to… uh… put differences aside after the duel?" Histoire suggest, and Weiss walked to the kitchen. He removed his robe exposing the skin-tight black sleeveless turtleneck beneath it, then took off his gloves to wash his hands since he planned to cook.

"What do you plan to make?" Histoire asked.

"I'm going to make her a traditional Warrior Priest free day meal. A Dragon's Wish Pizza. At least, it's what I usually have on my free days." Weiss replied while drying his hands, and then began to get out flour and eggs.

"I'm sorry… free day?" Histoire asked confused.

"Warrior Priests must have a disciplined diet. For six days of the week we eat naught but healthy dishes that satisfy each of the food groups. On the seventh day before a new cycle, we are allowed to eat meals as unhealthy as we like. We refer to this day as the 'Rejuvenation Day', or otherwise known as a free day." Weiss explained mixing water into the bowl of flour and eggs. He then used various spices while mixing the batter into a dough.

"Oh. I wasn't aware that Warrior Priests were THAT disciplined. As far as I knew you took training and caring for yourself very seriously." Histoire replied amused.

Weiss then pulled the dough onto a cutting board he'd dusted with flour in advance, and began to knead it with his hands and elbows. Histoire could smell the spices in the dough alone and it made her salivate a little. Weiss then began tossing it pizzeria style as Nepgear peered in smelling the dough.

"Histoire… what's going on…?" Nepgear nervously asked.

"Oh, right. Nepgear, this is Neptune's fiancé." Histoire explained.

"Fiancé?!" Nepgear exclaimed.

"Neptune's sleeping. Try to keep it down. Neptune lost the duel, so she's now engaged. His name is Weiss Winters." Histoire replied trying to calm Nepgear down.

"Weiss…" she spoke seeing him begin to carefully mold the crust of the dough into a dragon shape.

"I'll explain more later, but for now keep an eye on Neptune." Histoire told Nepgear, and she nodded returning to Neptune's room to find her groaning in her sleep. She could only stare at the number of bandages on her sister. Nepgear has never seen Neptune in such a condition before.

Nepgear became conflicted as she watched her sister. Weiss was the one who caused these injuries, yet he seemed gentle enough when she saw him in the kitchen. Would he care for Neptune? Would he make sure she's taking care of herself, at least more assertively than when Nepgear tries? More importantly, would she be forgotten about entirely now that Neptune will soon have a spouse?

Just then Neptune came to in bed. She tried to sit up, but immediately stopped when her body rejected the movement with painful feelings.

"How's it going, Nep Jr.? Judging by the room I'm in, and the amount of pain I'm in right now, I'm gonna go out of a limb and say my duel didn't end well." Neptune spoke.

"I'm just happy that you're alive." Nepgear replied.

"Hey yeah… I'd have thought that dude would either have his way with my unconscious, and heavily bleeding, body after winning and or killing me." Neptune pondered. Then a heavenly scent reached their noses.

"W-What is this…?" Nepgear asked salivating a little.

"I dunno… but damn does it smell good… Nep Jr., carry me!" Neptune demanded, and Nepgear sighed lifting her up and carrying her to the kitchen where Weiss was reading a book waiting on the oven to finish cooking the now very big and perfectly dragon-shaped crust pizza.

"Hubba, hubba… not too much but not too little… you could grind meat on those abs…" Neptune spoke gazing at Weiss's chiseled torso.

"You're awake. It will be ready in five minutes. Nepgear, please take her back to her bed. I want her resting while her injuries heal." Weiss ordered.

"Dinner in bed? Romantic…" Neptune spoke as Nepgear carried her off.

A small time later Weiss entered the room with a plate of three steaming slices of pizza. Neptune let them cool a bit and then took a bite. The storm of flavors in her mouth made her crave more. Within five minutes the three slices were devoured.

"That was better than even Compa's cooking…" Neptune spoke rubbing her stomach.

"I'm glad you liked it. I use an extra ingredient that most find odd." Weiss smiled.

"What is it?" Neptune asked.

"Eggplant." Weiss replied and absolute horror came to her face… she'd eaten what she despised.

Neptune couldn't fathom what has just happened. She, the spokesperson and leader of the Anti-Eggplant Foundation, has eaten a dish with eggplant in it and LOVED it. She can no longer call herself an eggplant hater because of this. A storm of emotions spread over her face as Weiss simply stared confused by her changing face.

"Weiss… it's totally okay to still hate eggplant and eat eggplant dishes, right?" she hastily asked.

"Sounds hypocritical to me." he replied as Histoire entered the room.

"Weiss, your things have arrived. We're ready to move them in… but Nepgear has decided to only carry the non-sharp objects. She's already cut seven of her fingers." Histoire announced, and Weiss stood exiting the room.

"You know, Histy, maybe marrying Weiss won't be so bad. He's a great cook, he knows how to bandage someone up without making it feel like bondage, and on top of it he's actually pretty smoking if you get past the fact he did fully intend to kill me." Neptune smiled.

"Well, the people might just ask for signs that their goddess is fertile. Are you prepared to have children?" Histoire teased.

"Hey, we just met, Histy. That's seriously taking how shotgun this is and changing it into a cannon." Neptune replied.

"Speaking of shotgun weddings… I already took the liberty of sending the invitations and reserving the church. All that's left is getting your transformed self's measurements. The marriage clause that actually exists states the goddess must be in their HDD state." Histoire explained with a smile.

"Wait, we seriously have one of those?" Neptune asked.

"Yes. There are three, actually, but they merely dictate behavior that should be upheld during the ceremony, both practice and the real deal. You must be in HDD, your surname will become the groom's, no ifs ands or buts, and divorce must be put through our temple committees. We don't have temple committees, so I guess it'd be decided by the both of you." Histoire replied reading her book.

"Doesn't your BS law void the divorce thing?" Neptune asked.

"Well it's a good thing only I read the book now isn't it?" Histoire retorted puffing her cheeks.

A little later Weiss set up his weapon racks, stacked top to bottom with deadly-looking weapons of different variety. Some of them you can't even get anymore without paying a massive amount of credits. Weiss didn't own any clothing other than Warrior Priest uniforms it seemed as he had two boxes dedicated to them. He also owned some books detailing the Lastation Civil War a few years ago that saw the crushing defeat of the rebels who claimed Noire was unfit to rule Lastation. The temple of Warrior Priests that aided in slaying the rebel ring leaders talked about in the books is the same one Weiss received his certification from. The document he owned stating it was very worn out and had tears here and there though. Histoire laminated it and put it in a frame so that time could no longer cause it harm. Oddly enough, he also had a Black Heart Medal – a prestigious honor given to those specifically recognized by Noire as defenders of Lastation's wellbeing. Perhaps Noire knew Weiss in some way.

That night was awkward for Neptune, as she wasn't used to sharing a bed with someone far taller than her. Neptune barely comes up to Weiss's ribs, if you truly need a comparison, and her HDD form barely reaches his chest. In the end, she ended up laying on top of me to avoid accidentally getting crushed on the off chance he's a mover. Lucky her, he's a rock and doesn't move from his position once he dozes off.

The following day was busy with making plans and preparing for the wedding. Many of the shops were happy to get them wedding clothes without cost. The idea of their goddess marrying put a certain jump in their step. The prestige of a Warrior Priest was enough to make them see just how much of a "power couple" they'd be in battle. Warrior Priests are trained in every form of weaponry short of nuclear and ones only goddesses can use. Weiss would have Neptune's back in every combat situation possible. He's also among very few who can literally use a 2-handed sword single-handedly. Weiss swings with one arm, and guards with the other allowing maneuverability since he isn't weighed down by a shield. It requires years of training to pull off a style like that, because it usually requires a very high level of physical strength to use 2-handed swords in the first place.

That evening Weiss was ordered by Histoire to visit the temple and purify himself before the wedding. As he walked up the steps, he could sense someone following him. He ignored it until he reached the shrine grounds. Upon turning around he found IF there with a serious expression.

"So you're the groom that everyone is going nuts over. Weiss, the Nightmare of Planeptune." IF growled. Her blades were at the ready.

"So you're the one whose been snooping about me." Weiss replied.

"You're a hard man to find information on, you know that? Going to try and wash the blood of hundreds off your hands before the big day, huh?" IF asked disapprovingly.

"Those kills are in legal bounds, mind you. I formally challenged them to duels, they chose their witness, and I won fair and square. The Law of Duels protects me from all legal action." Weiss replied and IF seemed to become more agitated than she already is.

"That's the only reason my blades aren't at your throat… you've killed too many of my friends at the Guild… but Nep asked me not to do anything I'll regret… if you make Nep cry… I will kill you myself." IF growled through her teeth.

"Neptune is pure compared to me. I wouldn't dare stain her in the blood I've spilled." Weiss replied.

End Chapter 01 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 02: Married Life

In the back room of the church Neptune was already transformed and was wearing a brilliant white wedding gown. She looked at herself in the mirror and fidgeted messing with the flowers in the bouquet. Nepgear entered wearing a flower girl outfit.

"You look nervous." Nepgear spoke.

"Most girls look forward to their big day… I just never thought I'd have one, you know?" Purple Heart replied turning to her.

"Maybe this will be good for you. He's really responsible and disciplined." Nepgear told her.

"Neptune!" Noire's voice roared as she, Vert, Blanc, and the other cadets entered the room.

"You all came." Purple Heart spoke surprised.

"How long have you been in a relationship?! Specifically, do you even know who that is?!" Noire lectured.

"Weiss Winters, murderer of hundreds of people, also known as the Nightmare of Planeptune. So what? His kills are in legal bounds too, by the way." Purple Heart replied.

"So he's covered in blood. Explains his whole 'Neptune is pure, I am unclean' mindset. Even if we've had our fair share of bloody battles." Vert giggled.

"By the way Noire, he has a Black Heart Medal… you recognized him as a defender?" Purple Heart asked.

"What? I don't remember making anyone named Weiss a defender… there was this one annoyingly good Warrior Priest I bestowed it to once when he saved Uni from a bad situation while training. He resembles him, but since the names don't match I can say it isn't him." Noire replied.

"The name was made out to him though. I will say that the name looks like something was scraped off before his name was engraved." Purple Heart spoke thinking to herself.

"How peculiar. Maybe he changed his name and had it re-engraved? As far as I know it's against their beliefs to fight another Warrior Priest in mortal combat." Blanc suggested.

"The ceremony is going to start in a few minutes." Histoire spoke flying into the room, and the others cleared out so Neptune could properly prepare herself.

"Okay… I can do this. I'm a big goddess. It's two simple words. I do…" Purple Heart pep-talked, and then exited the room heading toward the aisle as Here Comes the Bride played. She could see Weiss in a tuxedo. She arrived at the altar and glanced at Nepgear who gave a smiling thumbs up.

The priest began the usual opening speech as Purple Heart tried to remain calm. She felt all of the attendees looking at her dressed in white. Before she knew it she was being called to.

"Your answer?" the priest asked.

"I do." Purple Heart replied in a slight panic.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride." The priest spoke, and they turned to each other. Weiss moved back Purple Heart's veil, and she saw deep into Weiss's eyes. They had compassion, but behind it was a void of sadness despite his expression. They kissed and the church bells rang.

Weiss carried her from the church and into a carriage that took them away. Purple Heart could only think of what she saw in Weiss's eyes. During her duel with him, all she could see in his eyes were rage and frustration. What could Weiss have gone through to make the love that should be in his eyes at that moment vanish? She decided that day that it would be her mission to revive the love that was vacant from his heart. If that meant diving into the pool of blood that is his past, she'd go in head-first to make him truly love her.

That evening marked their first night as newlyweds. Purple Heart expected the first thing after their dinner, courtesy of Compa, to be some adult fun time. She was almost disappointed when he simply showered and went to bed, but at the same time a little relieved. The wedding was one thing, the deed was another entirely. She reverted to normal, showered, and went to bed as well.

The following morning the Basilicom received reports of problematic monsters too powerful for the Guild to handle. Weiss walked to the bedroom and attempted waking Neptune.

"She doesn't wake up easily… Noire tried for a solid week." Nepgear explained.

"I can wake her up. You left the tub filled with lukewarm water as I instructed, yes?" Weiss asked.

"I was wondering why you asked me to do that." Nepgear replied.

Weiss rolled Neptune up in the covers, lifted her onto his shoulder, and carried her to the bathroom. Once there he faced the tub and skillfully flicked the blanket sending Neptune spiraling knocking her clothes off and when she stopped spinning gravity began working again making her fall into the tub waking her up.

"Wah! I-I'm up! I'm up!" Neptune cried out looking around in a panic.

"We have jobs to complete today. Wash thoroughly so we complete them before noon." Weiss ordered.

"Before noon? What time is it?" Neptune asked.

"It is currently 6:23." Weiss replied gathering her clothes.

"What?! That's, like, less than six hours from now!" Neptune cried gripping the rim of the tub.

"If you don't lollygag, then it should be no normal from a normal work day from what Histoire told me. That isn't counting reports that appear during the day." Weiss lectured leaving the room for the laundry room to begin washing the clothes.

"How'd he even strip me without me feeling it…?" Neptune asked herself pouting as she began washing herself.

Neptune finished getting ready, and they began for the day. Neptune was a little mad that he woke her up that way.

"Have a good time." Nepgear spoke, and Weiss stopped.

"You aren't going with us?" Weiss asked.

"I-I don't want to be a third wheel." she replied.

"Nonsense. Neptune and I are married now so you're my little sister as well. You're more than welcome to come with us." Weiss smiled, and Nepgear blushed a bit grabbing her sword hurrying to catch up.

The three then began to make for the forests on the city outskirts. Inside they found many monsters with pieces of equipment from fallen adventurers. To Neptune's surprise Weiss didn't go "death tyrant" on them, and showed a superior ability to work in a team backing up either her or Nepgear when the enemy ganged up or guarding the flank when reinforcements appeared. In fact, it seemed like Weiss wasn't truly fighting but tanking to make sure nothing hurt her or Nepgear while simultaneously crowd controlling. When a dragon came at them Weiss threw his blade stabbing its jugular making it roar in fury at them. Weiss them began palm-striking its lower legs making it become unbalanced in its lunges and kicks. Nepgear saw firsthand just how good Weiss is at combat, and was also afraid… because this meant he didn't need his sword to take you out.

Eventually the dragon's knees buckled making it fall making his claymore burst out the back of its neck. It lay there gasping for air and he kicked the butt of the hilt making it completely exit through the other end. He retrieved his weapon and cleaned it before sheathing it. Nepgear and Neptune could only stare in shock at what they'd just witnessed. Weiss was definitely worthy of his unanimous Planeptune nickname… "The Nightmare of Planeptune". He walked toward them with the fury in his eyes he had in his duel with Neptune, and it slowly faded back to compassion.

"That's dealt with. Let's move on to the other jobs." Weiss ordered, and they simply nodded.

The majority of the morning was completing various quests. Halfway through Weiss began to hang back from the front line and covered the flank exclusively. It was as if during battle he was avoiding eye contact with Neptune and Nepgear. Did he fear them seeing the rage in his eyes? Was he afraid they'd see him as a monster? Weiss was a total wall to them, hiding what he truly felt inside.

They returned to the Basilicom where IF, Compa, and Histoire were waiting. The three of them were covered in monster blood.

"So this is Nepnep's husband. Honestly, I'm gone for a couple of days on one emergency house call and I come back to find Nepnep married." Compa spoke puffing her cheeks angrily.

"You must be Compa. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." Weiss spoke bowing.

"H-He bowed…?" IF spoke shocked.

"One must be respectful towards those who provide medical care, medical supplies, food stuffs for stores to sell, those who enforce the law, and those who serve our continent." Weiss replied standing back up.

"He's not a jerk and understands how important hospital staff, especially nurses, are. I approve." Compa smiled.

"You three! Don't just stand there, you're dripping blood on the carpet!" Histoire scolded, and the three hurried to the outdoor bath. They didn't remember that the bath is single-gender until after they'd stripped on opposite sides of the lockers.

It was already too late, and they were still soaked in blood, so they washed using the rinse units, covered up with towels, and entered the bath. Neptune had already seen Weiss's scar-covered body, but Nepgear hadn't and it spooked her at first. It was like every weapon imaginable tried to get a piece of Weiss. Even his legs had scars on them.

"Staring at his muscles, Nep Jr.? He's a married man." Neptune teased jabbing her side.

"I'm looking at his scars!" Nepgear scolded.

"My scars? Well, the bulk of them I got in the Battle of Controller Woods." Weiss explained.

"Oh, during the Lastation Civil War a couple of years back." Neptune spoke, and genuinely spooked Nepgear.

"You know something from the past?!" Nepgear asked in total shock.

"Well, duh, it was one of the biggest slaughters in Gamindustri history. It even beat the PC Purge by a huge margin." Neptune explained unamused.

"How many more?" Nepgear asked curiously.

"How the heck should I know?" Neptune replied.

"So you only brushed up on certain things." Weiss chuckled, and then Neptune sat beside him.

"You know, Weissy… they say love in the tub is pretty romantic." Neptune suggested tugging at her towel, obviously trying to creep out Nepgear.

"Weissy?" Weiss asked raising an eyebrow.

"It'll be my cutesy newlywed nickname for you. You could totally make one for me too…" Neptune replied with a smile.

"Can you not while I'm here?" Nepgear spoke disgusted by the display.

"What's a matter, Nep Jr.? Grossed out by our newlywed passion?" Neptune teased gets on her knees getting close to Weiss puckering to kiss him, and Nepgear freaked getting out.

"That wasn't very nice." Weiss scolded Neptune.

"Nah. She just makes it too easy." Neptune giggled sitting back down kicking her legs in the water.

"Neptune. I've been meaning to ask you something." Weiss spoke looking up at the stars.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Can you say 'I love you'?" Weiss asked lowing his eye lids to half way closed.

"Huh? Of course I can. I love you, Weissy. See?" Neptune replied with a giggle.

"I see. Well, I've lingered in the bath long enough. Wouldn't want to damage my skin. I suggest you do the same." Weiss spoke sighing before standing and leaving the bath. The entire night Weiss seemed to be a little down. Neptune wasn't able to see it, but to Weiss her words were far too casual… and were empty, carrying no meaning to fill the void of his heart.

End Chapter 02 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 03: The Demon of Lastation

Morning came to Lastation, and Noire was making sure she looked her absolute best. Nothing could be out of place today of all days. For seventeen long years she's developed a program for the ultimate military law enforcement… she'd crush radicalism once and for all… with the Demon Soldier project. She'd found a way to harness the power of demons and infuse them with a human to grant superhuman abilities. They couldn't stand up to a goddess, but they'd be able to put up a hell of a fight.

Noire made a B Line for the lab conducting the experiments. Her scientists told her that they were now fully prepared to begin testing on their volunteers, who consisted mostly of disabled war veterans who sought to be given a second chance. Her very first thought was to pep talk the volunteers to get them pumped before seeing to the arrangements. Before entering the waiting room, she transformed to personally visit them as Black Heart.

"Greetings, brave volunteers. Today is the day, and I'm sure all of you are nervous. Fear not though! You will become the bravest of the brave, the strongest of the strong, and the fastest of the fast in Lastation's military! You will be considered invalids no more! You who cannot walk, you will again feel the ground beneath your feet! You who have lost limbs, they will be restored! All others, you will be witness to their evolution as you too make those same steps to becoming Lastation's first Demon Soldiers!" Black Heart preached, and they all cheered… except for one, and she noticed.

She walked right up to Volunteer 06, and observed he was noticeably younger than every other volunteer. He couldn't be older than 18. His caramel hair was slightly long in the back and his bangs hid his eyes for the most part. His variation of the bodysuits the volunteers were wearing was the short-sleeved version so up to his knees and elbows are covered. He was sitting on a bench seeming to be dozing off.

"Volunteer 06, stand up please." she requested, and he didn't move. Convinced he was just taking a small nap, she gently shook his shoulder again and calmly asked again. Still no response. Annoyed a bit, she bent a bit moving his bangs. His eyes were all but lifeless.

"06 was entered by his friends on his behalf. Poor guy lost his father last year in an accident. They said he's been like that since. We can barely get him to eat sometimes." one of the other volunteers explained.

"I see." Black Heart spoke standing up.

As she left the room she thought about 06. She knew the program could fix paralysis and restore lost limbs, but what can it do about a broken heart? She had to hope that it helps him recover from his current state. She entered the control room to find many scientists running tests and making sure everything was calibrated correctly. The room used a one-way mirror to see inside the room where the volunteers would be transformed.

Only a single tube-like chamber was built and connected to a fill and drain system, to reduce the chances of critical failure and damaging multiple people. Scientists began to enter the transformation room and check the equipment for flaws. They found an error with the pipe alignment, and spent a good five minutes fixing and reinforcing the piping. After another ten minutes of preparation and a following five minutes of making sure the fill and drain functions worked properly… they could begin. Black Heart made certain they made 06 go last.

Just as Noire had anticipated, the mixture allowed the first volunteer to stand and even jog without complication. The limbs of the crippled were restored with black flesh and red lines indicating their veins. Those who had lost a leg or arm or worse now had them back. It was a miracle, and Noire was more than smiling at the sight of her calculations being correct. After a good four hours, it was finally time for 06 to go.

"Lady Black Heart, we've detected a small abnormality in the pipe system. Should we hold off and see to it?" a scientist asked.

"He's the last one. Will it hold for one more?" Black Heart asked, and the scientists ran diagnostics on their terminals.

"In theory, there is a 2.25% chance of critical failure. So it should be more than okay to go ahead." one of the scientists replied.

"All right. With odds that low, it shouldn't hurt." she ordered, and 06 was walked into the chamber where the door closed once again.

"Beginning filling process." one scientist announced pressing a button, and the tube began to fill with the same black liquid.

The liquid rose to 06's knees, then his waist, and began reaching his chest where it should have stopped… but it didn't. The liquid continued to rise, and soon began to force 06 to swim bringing panic to him. Alarms began to go off as the scientists rushed for the kill switch, but it was malfunctioning. It was seconds before 06 became completely submerged. The fill pipes buckled and at last exploded spilling the fluid onto the lab floor as the scientists got the emergency override to work. The tank drained, but the viewport was stained black so they couldn't see inside.

The scientists tried and tried, but they couldn't get the door to open. They got a crowbar, but stopped dead when a loud thump hit the tank door from inside. A few seconds after, another loud thump was made with a dent in the door. After a third thump, the time between them and the dents became shorter and shorter until it was repeated hitting against the door. It began to bend and buckle letting black fog into the room. Soon the door busted off causing an enormous amount of the fog to seep into the room obscuring vision from the observation room. Seconds after vision was lost screams of horror quickly followed by gargling death rattles rang out in the room.

Black Heart slashed the window apart only to be pounced from something in the fog. The creature slashed at her with sharp claws leaving bloody scratches until she could fling it off. The fog dissipated revealing 06, but his body had been completely warped from its human shape. The only features that could be distinguished were the lines between his outfit and his pitch black flesh. His hair had become pure white and flame like moving erratically despite the lack of a breeze. His lips had vanished to reveal razor sharp white teeth as he exhaled black smoke. His fingers and toes were slightly elongated bearing sharp claws. His elbows had flowing white flames similar in appearance to his hair. He was monstrous to look at, and his breathing sounded like there were three of him.

He yelled inhumanly and leapt around slashing at Black Heart forcing her to block. His movements were easy to telegraph, but actually countering them was another story. It required her to put some effort into it to knock him back, but he'd always immediately recover to take another leap. She swung and slammed her blade into him knocking him to the wall, but he was completely unharmed save a while line where her blade struck. He continued leaping at her until he suddenly changed direction midflight going over Black Hearts' sword grabbing her face slamming her onto the ground knocking her sword out of her grip. His spine bent inhumanly as his legs pinned down her arms and he grabbed the sides of her head with his thumbs on her cheek.

"What did you do to me?!" he screamed in her face making her cry a bit as she flung her legs up and threw him off to grab her sword.

She stood and found he had torn open the door. Alarms in the facility were going off and sounds of gunfire could be heard. She hurried to catch up and found massacres of soldier units in the hallways. He was out of control, and needed to be reined in… or killed. A loud explosion roared in one hall, and at the very end was a massive hole in the wall. She immediately had the Land Lock Protocol activate separating the lab from the mainland so he couldn't escape. She then proceeded to the woodland areas to hunt down her creation.

She found him roaring at the gap between the mainland and the lab's island. In the sunlight he seemed even more frightening. Still, he reminded her of her initial experiments. When overexposed to the formula, the plants she tested with all turned black with white petals. Was this what happens when humans are overexposed? She called to him and he roared at her before charging. He leapt at her and she dropped her sword to catch him in an embracing hug despite his rage clawing angrily into her back. Black Heart cried from the pain, but she didn't let go no matter how he clawed her up or how loud he roared. After a full five minutes of hugging him, a bullet struck his back electrocuting him making him give a loud howl before passing out as the bullet fell to the ground. Then 03's body slowly began changing back to normal as Uni arrived in HDD form.

"How the hell did that not penetrate him?!" Uni exclaimed as Black Heart fell to her knees reverting to Noire.

"He can change back… that's good. Uni, looks like Kei was right… it was a stupid idea to fill a confined chamber. I should have just filled a pool and had them take a dip…" Noire chuckled through her tears.

"Noire… your back…" Uni stuttered as Noire turned around.

"It's fine, Uni. I consider it part of my punishment for being so careless. I have an idea for how I should completely repent." Noire sighed with a slight smile.

"Sis… those are deep enough that they'll scar…" Uni whimpered.

"Uni, sometimes scars hold fond memories of a battle with friends at your side, sometimes they're reminders of lessons we had to learn. I won't forget what these scratches mean." Noire scolded her, and Uni simply looked down shedding a tear.

"Noire…" Uni choked out.

"Help me carry him, Uni. I need to make sure there are no complications with him after transforming." Noire asked, and Uni compliantly got 03's legs.

A number of exams were performed on him while he was unconscious. They all showed that he was stable, his internals were functioning as they should, but an abnormality in his heart made his heartbeat only half as fast as it should be… though the amount of blood circulating was still just as high as if it were normal. In fact, his heartbeat seemed stronger than usual pumping more than it would at normal pace. His skin also seemed harder to penetrate than before. It took a few tries to actually get a blood sample to do analysis on.

A full three weeks after the incident, 03 finally came to. His eyes had more life than before… but he had no memory of who he was or where he was. He didn't even know what year or day it was. His contacts weren't responding either, and the homes they lived in had been burned down. Whoever brought him to the facility… had no intention of seeing him again. Noire spent many days seeing him in the facility as they continued to make sure his condition didn't change. In that time, Noire thought long and hard about how she could possibly make up for this mistake.

One day though, 03 saw a soldier wielding a sword designed to be eerily similar to Black Heart's blade. All patients have to wear vital signature monitoring vests, particularly ones that track heartbeat. He had a dead stare at them, and his heartbeat began to rapidly increase as he broke into a cold sweat. He started to tremble and his eyes dilated as his heartrate reached dangerous levels causing the panic system in it to trigger alerting the nurses. He began growling and he knocked the nurses who tried to restrain him away with ease as his skin began turning black. With a roar he fully transformed again and tackled the guard slashing and biting him making him scream in agony as other guards knocked him off. His heart monitor was going insane as he roared at them.

He leapt at the guard beating the daylights out of her at high speed. The wounded guard hit an emergency backup button and more guards showed up to try and restrain him. He kept knocking them away leaving burning injuries on them. Eventually Noire entered transforming to Black Heart. She shared a stare with 03 for a bit, and when he leapt at her she allowed him to bite down into her shoulder splattering blood on the wall. She seized the moment to inject him with a sedative. After a minute his jaws grip on her shoulder let up, and his heartrate began to stabilize. The form began to slowly fade away as 03 fell to his knees breathing heavily. Black Heart stroked his jawline compassionately as he remained still. The mere visage of her HDD drove him mad with rage. She changed back, and after her shoulder was treated she decided to bring him to the Basilicom. She was going to explain everything about the Demon Soldier Program to him, including the accident.

That day it began storming after they arrived. Uni was against the idea, but Noire was adamant about it. He has a right to know, more right than anyone else. She did this to him, and she can't have him go into a blood rage every time he sees her true form. Otherwise a lot of advertisements downtown would cause him to go into a giant fit. After the general tour, she brought him to her office. There the plans for the Demon Soldier Program were sprawled about the room and cork boards. She could begin her explanation. She sat him down and began from the very beginning when she theorized the project with Kei's assistance. From discovering the compound to testing on flowers and mice, Noire explained it all. Eventually she got to the volunteers who were exposed to the compound… and the accident.

03 seemed to be taking it in well enough. His heartrate went up a bit, but nowhere near what was necessary to transform. Noire then tried a reintroduction, that maybe a healthy friendship would calm his bloodlust when transformed. 03 could only promise that he'd try, because he himself blacks out a little when he transforms. In fact, he isn't even aware of his transformations. Noire invited him to stay in the Basilicom, to which Uni burst in with an objection. Noire poked a thousand holes in her objection and continued to offer it. He was a little confused, but he accepted out of curiosity. From that day on, Noire gave him the name "Auron". They couldn't very well keep calling him by a number, no one would stand for it. He seemed content enough with it at least.

In three days' time he was officially moved in. Uni kept giving dagger eyes, but Noire simply had him ignore her. She was taking him clothes shopping. She definitely couldn't have him running around in the subject uniform if he was to readjust. They went to several stores, and at every single one the clerks that knew Noire asked if Auron was her boyfriend. She naturally got flustered and denounced the claim each time. Auron didn't remember what that word meant of course. By the end of the day they'd both loaded their arms with bags. On their way back to the Basilicom though, some thugs exited the alley.

"Your money or we shiv ya… got it?" one of them spoke, only to be promptly kicked in the nose by Auron. They screamed like a girl and fell over rolling around holding their bleeding nose.

"B-Boss…" one of them whimpered nervously.

"Don't just stand there! Support!" the leader cried out.

"Well, your hair looks amazing today, and you've got nicely toned abs." another spoke.

"I meant shiv him ya wankers! That did help me a bit though…" the leader commented before getting kicked again making them flail even more. The other thugs charged and Auron mercilessly, and literally, kicked the shit out of them. Noire was amazed by his natural combat instinct.

"That will teach you to attempt robbing the goddess. This is Lastation's ultimate security force… a Demon Soldier. Why lift a finger when I have them to do it for me? So next time you decide to rob someone, remember that soldiers just like him are watching… and will strike when you least expect it." Noire warned them, and they all fled screaming in terror.

Noire and Auron returned to the Basilicom with the bags, and found Uni waiting with puffed cheeks. Evidently she didn't want to be left behind.

"Have a good time…?" Uni asked jealously.

"Uni, if you wanted to go along why didn't you say so?" Noire asked.

"I didn't know you were going." Uni replied.

"Sorry. All we did was get him clothes though, so you didn't miss out on much." Noire chuckled.

"Whatever." Uni scoffed walking off.

"She doesn't seem to like me." Auron commented.

"Uni doesn't like anyone at first. I'm sure she'll warm up to you eventually." Noire sighed.

"You really think so?" Auron asked.

"She used to hate Nepgear's guts, but now they're the best of friends." Noire told him.

"Nepgear?" Auron asked confused.

"Oh right, you haven't met the other goddesses and their candidates yet. Well, Neptune visits every other week to make a pest of herself, so you'll meet her soon enough." Noire explained.

The entire evening Uni shut herself up in her room. Noire felt bad that she got left out, but Uni really had no reason to be mad. It happens. She didn't even come down for dinner, so Noire put a plate for her in the microwave. When Uni's stomach gets the better of her she'll be down.

That night Noire could scarcely sleep. When she finally fell asleep, she thought she woke up in the middle of the night as her room's door creaked open. She sat up looking at the dark of the doorway.

"Who's there?" Noire asked, and from the dark Auron walked forward with his arm and face transformed. The sight sent chills down Noire's spine.

"You did this to me…" Auron growled pointing a claw at her as he approached her bed.

"I'm taking responsibility aren't I…?" Noire choked out trembling a bit.

"Not enough!" Auron roared slashing her covers apart taking part of her nightgown exposing her underwear turning her red trying to cover up.

"No… don't do this…" Noire pleaded back up on her bed when he grabbed her throat growling. His red eyes shined on her face.

"You owe me this…" Auron growled and then suddenly pinned her down making Noire sprang awake in her bed breathing heavily. Sleeping on her was Uni, who looked like she'd been crying.

Noire breathed a sigh of relief that it was just a nightmare. She gently woke Uni up and the two bathed together, something they hadn't done in a while. Afterward Noire had to check up on Auron. She knocked on his door, but got no response. She knocked a bit louder, and still nothing. She opened the door and found scratch marks all over the floor where Auron lay unconscious entangled in a slashed up blanket. Noire had him examined, but he was just exhausted from overexertion. He probably had a bad dream and flailed around in a panic tangled in his blanket, or at least the doctor said so. She told him to get some rest, even if that was initially what caused his exhaustion.

Noire had little choice but to keep him in bed, after getting him a new blanket, and look after him while he rests. She had Uni help her, since she was also a housemate. It'd give her a chance to get to see Auron means no harm as well. While he slept they'd check up on him now and then. During one of Noire's visits she gasped seeing his left arm had completely changed. She hurried to him and examined him. He was groaning a bit in his sleep. She had to think fast, how could she calm him? She grabbed a book on childcare and saw that holding usually helps. She had no other ideas, so she sat by him on the bed and held him close. It seemed to be working for the most part. He wasn't groaning as much now.

After she was certain he'd calmed down, she moved as carefully as she could so she didn't disturb him. She went to move, but something had snagged her dress. She gently tried to pull away, but whatever hooked her was evidently through the fabric. She looked behind her to find that his demon arm had hooked two claws through the seam where the skirt and top meet. Uni called to her startling her into moving forward causing the seam to rip dropping the skirt of her outfit to the floor. Both froze in shock as Auron came to drowsily making his arm return to normal.

"What's going on…?" Auron asked disoriented, and Noire robotically turned to him going red as magma.

The rest of the day Noire couldn't stop thinking about her nightmare. It made her shiver every time she saw Auron as a result. She tried to hide it as best she could, but Uni was smart enough to figure out that Noire was nervous about something. After lunch she confronted her.

"Noire, what's biting you? You've been getting the heebie-jeebies every time you look at Auron since the morning." Uni asked.

"It was a bad dream, Uni, I'll be fine." Noire smiled.

"Evidently it involves Auron. What happened?" Uni prodded.

"I don't want to talk about it…" Noire sighed.

"Maybe it'll help take the edge off it to talk." Uni suggested.

"Uni, he… on my bed… I was powerless to stop him. I tried to use HDD but it wouldn't respond." Noire explained.

"Noire… that's so evil…" Uni commented.

"I know it was just a nightmare, but it felt so real… while we were in the bath I checked to make sure…" Noire sighed.

"Then shouldn't you try to lay it to rest? Remember the facts about Auron. He has no memory, his form is irrationally angry at you, and overall he seems nice enough. There's no way he'd do that to you. Plus I've never known HDD to fail us." Uni assured her, and Noire sighed with a smile.

"You're right. Even then I highly doubt he'd know what he's doing." Noire chuckled.

"By the way, a report from the excavation team came in. Apparently they discovered a reservoir of a metallic liquid and need it identified before they can do anything with it." Uni told her.

"I'll go immediately. Can I trust you to make sure Auron doesn't hurt himself, or anyone else for that matter?" Noire asked.

"Naturally." Uni replied with a smile.

After Noire went out, Uni decided to make sure that Auron wouldn't even be capable of doing that to her sister. She set to work making an elaborate trap. It wouldn't kill him, but it'd at least cripple him. She did her best to make it appear as if it would be an accident. Now all she had to do was get him into place. She waited in the doorway before where he needed to stand. With a deep inhale, she called for him to come quickly to an emergency. Of course, Auron came running. The trap triggered and almost cartoonish in fashion a piano slammed into him from the staircase. Uni pretended to be very concerned, but then the piano went flying. Auron growled like an animal, and had completely transformed.

Uni saw his glare and knew that was her que to run. She'd angered the wrong demon soldier. He busted down every door she tried to use to slow him down. He cut her off once she'd gotten outside and she then received a hard head butt from him knocking her on her hind end bleeding from the forehead. Auron growled viciously stepping toward Uni as she lay frozen in sheer terror. His eyes sent piercing chills down her spine. His flanged breath gave her goosebumps. She'd made a big mistake… but Noire then hugged him from behind.

"It's okay, Auron. Please calm down. I'll see to it she's properly punished for her trickery." Noire spoke stroking his spine, and slowly but surely he returned to normal falling to his knees breathing heavily.

"Noire…" Uni spoke on the verge of tears.

"Uni, I put my trust in you, and this is how you act… I'm disappointed." Noire sighed.

"Noire, I… I just…" Uni stuttered, but Noire shook her head helping Auron inside.

Noire didn't care what Uni's reasons were. Doing that to Auron, who was already an amnesiac as it is, was completely wrong. Nevertheless Noire still properly tended to the gash made when Auron head butted Uni. Noire was just glad he didn't get the chance to tear into her. His wrath was hers to take, not Uni's. One way or another, she would eventually have to make him a military soldier though, and that was irrefutable…

The day came when recruitment came around, and Noire was personally escorting the Demon Soldier Unit to the military academy. She reluctantly brought Auron along. Once they began getting their uniform haircuts trouble immediately came about. It didn't matter how short they cut Auron's hair, it'd grow right back to normal length. Noire believed it directly had to do with his transformed state and had them make an exception to his hair. At least there wasn't any trouble with Auron's academy uniform.

Noire hadn't even gotten to the stairs going to the first floor when she heard cries of horror. She peeked back into the hall and saw that Auron had thrown the stereotypical upperclassman bully through a wall. Auron shot a glare at her stereotypical cronies making them panic running away as fast as they could. At this point it was inevitable that she'd have to come clean to her military generals about the overwhelming success and accident of Auron's transformed state that also causes his very short temper. The generals, of course, wanted a demonstration. Noire advised against it, as he takes the demon part very seriously while changed. All the same, they wanted to know what he was capable of.

The second day, an obstacle course was set up. For the sake of making it happen, Noire transformed into Black Heart. Seeing her once again triggered him into a frenzied state, eventually transforming tearing his uniform apart. He roared viciously and effortlessly made his way through the obstacles, mostly breaking his way through rather than actively trying to avoid the traps. Each one seemed to escalate his anger. The flames seemed to be getting longer as well giving him more momentum and strength. His eyes began glowing brighter leaving streaks behind in the air with each movement. His body literally began letting off black smoke. In an insane leap he got onto the platform where Black Heart was waiting.

Mindlessly, he began slashing at her forcing her to block. This time he was much faster than their battle on the lab island. She couldn't keep up with him. He kicked her down knocking her sword away. With a high leap he came down on her roaring, and she braced for it... but it never came. She felt his breath on her face, hit nothing was hitting her. She opened one eye and saw his claws right there at her throat, but they weren't moving. He was just staring at her, as if still in a trance. She went to say something, but then he began sniffing her face like a dog giving her cheek a lick afterwards.

She was paralyzed by the sheer awkwardness of it. She'd received kisses on the cheek from adoring subjects before, and several times been licked by dogs… but she hasn't exactly been licked by a person before. His tongue was lukewarm and felt like a damp silk cloth for some reason. Auron then let out a bloodcurdling howl of frustration backing off of her flailing about. He continued to growl and groan as if conflicted with himself. He grabbed his head and let out an extremely loud yell that was flanged at first, but slowly began turning human as the flames grew shorter and Auron transformed back to normal restoring his military uniform to proper order. Black Heart stood as Auron stumbled forward. She helped him stay on his feet as he tried to catch his breath.

"Are you okay?" she asked, and Auron kissed her. Everyone gasped in shock as Black Heart became petrified.

"I finally figured out what it is in my chest that's burning me… it isn't the desire to kill… I had you right there… but I couldn't do it… then I looked at your face… and I discovered it was love… but I can't remember why I fell because my memory is gone… though I'm sure if I stay around you it'll eventually come back to me." Auron spoke with a beaming smile, and Black Heart blushed harder.

"I-Idiot! Don't just s-say things like that in public!" Black Heart scolded in a panic, and Auron smiled. It was the first smile she'd ever seen on his face. It was wide, sincere, and completely devoid of ulterior motive. He meant his words, with all of his heart.

That evening became awkward for Noire. Seeing Auron smiling more often made her heart race a bit. Between that kiss and his confession, she found herself unable to see him as just someone she has to take responsibility for anymore. He was a man, and one that loved her. He may not remember the reason why just yet, but his feelings still remain just as adamant. Worst of all, she had absolutely no idea how to respond. She didn't know the first thing about the Auron before he got amnesia. All she knew was who he was after the accident. She also considered their life expectancies and what the people would think. She inevitably called Kei to ask for advice.

"What's up Lady Noire? I'm a little busy with important documentation at the moment, but if it's important I'll do what I can." Kei spoke over the phone.

"Kei… I don't know what I should do… Auron confessed to me, and I know he's a good guy based on what he's been doing around the Basilicom… but… what about the people? He isn't eternal like me either…" Noire explained in a panic.

"All right… not exactly important, and I'm the furthest from who you should have gone to for an expert on men… but, this is what I'd do. If the people knew their goddess was considering marriage, and maybe even children, that'd show fertility boosting morale and faith that their goddess knows what they're doing. It'd show that you plan on investing in the new generation by building a world you'd approve of your child growing up in." Kei told her with a sigh.

"K-K-Kids?! Kei, that's way too fast! I just wanted to know if I should return his feelings or not!" Noire shot back in a flustered panic.

"Lady Noire… look in your heart, and if the feelings are there, you'll know what to do. I have important documents to finish up before the day is out, so while I appreciate the call, I must return to work." Kei sighed heavily before hanging up.

"In my heart…? Oh… that doesn't explain how I'd word it!" Noire complained, unaware that Uni was listening the whole time.

The days continued to go by as Noire nervously helped Auron adjust to military training. He excelled in hand to hand combat, but couldn't shoot a gun to save his life. So for now memorizing everything about handling firearms and passing the tests was enough. Obstacle courses were a walk in the park for him too. He had to keep a close eye on his heartrate though, otherwise he'd begin smoking and start transforming. Each day when Noire could sneak away she'd try to think of ways to respond to Auron's feelings. It'd help if she'd known him a long time and knew his likes, interests, personal history, and other things that'd build a bond. She then decided to enlist the Guild's help in finding something, anything that could point to Auron's past. Birth records, people who know him, anything if it pieces together who he once was.

End Chapter 3 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Assassin of Leanbox

Leanbox has been in a state of crisis lately. In the last month alone, at least twenty noble family heads have been murdered in their homes. There is no calling card, no clear motive, and no evidence left behind. In fact, some of them were some of the most generous nobles in the Medieval District. What possible reason could there have been for murdering them and not their families as well?

Each victim was found with the same wounds… deep triple slashes as if mauled by an animal of some sort. The cuts were far too clean to simply be an animal though, and no animal could claw their way to a window that's a good 35 feet from the ground. This was the work of a very adept assassin, but the thing that baffled Leanbox authorities is how there wasn't a single fingerprint or calling card at any of the scenes. There is an ongoing rumor that the government had labeled as pure fiction though, and it seems to gain more and more popularity with each consecutive murder.

The rumor goes as such… hidden in the nooks and crannies of the city is a number. Call it and say the name of the person you want dead. Within the next three days the person will be killed. The number can only be found by one person at any time, and can't be found again until the kill has been made. Authorities continuously patrol reported areas where it could be found, but never have such luck. At first Vert left it to Chika, but that all changed one night during a ball. In the middle of the party a single scream shattered the fun. In a far corner of the ballroom a noble had been mauled, and the window was wide open with the curtains flapping in the night wind. Blood stained the windowsill. On the far wall of the compound, Vert saw a black silhouette. Their overcoat flapped in the wind, and eyes filled with joy were staring back at her.

Since that day she's been more proactive in looking to find this mystery assassin's identity. Security in all noble homes were beefed up, and the same was done for the commoner's layer just in case they were hiding out there. She wouldn't have another killing if she could help it. In fact, she saw to taking care of many important tasks that she'd been procrastinating on due to excessive gaming. Chika adores it when Vert goes into workaholic mode, and did everything in her power to be as helpful as possible. Whoever this murderer was, they would be apprehended and locked in a cell to rot for willful manslaughter.

One stormy day Vert was making her way to a board meeting walking underneath the cover of a covered bridge over a manmade river. Then, she heard a second set of footsteps following behind her. She quickly whirled thrusting her spear, but no one was there despite the footsteps continuing to come near her. Then it clicked as they stopped above her… they were on top of the bridge. She rolled backward as the roof was slashed wide open. Nothing came through, so Vert transformed into Green Heart unleashing a harsh gale blasting the roof apart… nothing but debris fell. She quickly realized that she'd been tricked and rolled forward narrowly evading an X attack.

She looked and saw a young man wearing black combat boots, slightly baggy black cargo pants, a buttoned up dark brown overcoat bearing a hood, and upon his face was a Noh-Mask. Through the eye holes she could see murderous eyes… completely different from the ones she'd seen that night. On his hands he wore black gauntlets with three three-foot long claws on each. At the tips they morphed to be arrow-like in shape, likely for hooking onto prey that would try to escape. This couldn't be the same man that had killed the noble at the ball.

He moved like the wind slashing at her forcing Green Heart onto the defensive. His hooked claws made it increasingly difficult to counter him. Without a doubt he knew what he was doing. He wasn't actively trying to wound her though, and it showed…

"Vert!" Chika cried charging with a spear.

The masked man back flipped over her thrust hooking her shoulder to land on his feet making her cry out in pain as three bloody slashes were made. Chika continued swinging in a rage fit, and he easily dodged her without swinging. He then dropkicked her wounded shoulder making her cry out rolling around holding the wounded shoulder. Green Heart charged back in and their fight continued.

"You bastard! How dare you hurt Chika!?" Green Heart scolded angrily.

"She got in the way of my little display, and she got hurt because she didn't know her place. You should really train her to keep a more level head." he spoke continuing to go on the offensive.

"Display?! You infiltrated this place and are attacking me!" Green Heart continued to scold while blocking.

"Contraire… I'm displaying my skills to you… and showing you how I carry out my assassinations. I did not build a reputation cleaning up the filth of this country to be made a mockery of by a lowlife copycat killer who doesn't even compare to half my skill." he shot back before knocking Green Heart's spear away and promptly kicking her down.

"You reveal yourself because of a copycat? You're still a murderer!" Green Heart accused.

"I have only murdered the corrupt nobles who have ties to local drug trades and gang rings. Without someone in a high place to pay off the guards, they don't have protection against smuggling charges and the like anymore. That is the purpose I took up my claws for. The copycat kills indiscriminately, not caring who as long as they're a noble." he explained.

"So why the attack then?" Green Heart asked.

"Otherwise you wouldn't hear me out, now would you? You'd throw me right in a prison cell to rot." he replied.

"You're damn right I would… and I still will." she shot back gritting her teeth.

"Call me a murderer if you want, it is the truth, but eventually the copycat will tire of nobles and set their eyes on a higher prize." he warned.

"They'd come after me? A fool's death." Green Heart smirked.

"Think of their methods. They strike when nobody suspects it. Watch your back, Lady Green Heart. I will if no one else does." he warned again before easily vaulting the perimeter wall as guards charged forward.

"Lady Green Heart, should we pursue?!" one of the guards asked.

"No, make sure Chika is treated above all else. I refuse to have her become ill or worse due to infection." she ordered, and they carefully carried Chika away.

That same evening, Vert discovered her butler had become ill in his old age, so she had no other choice… she'd go through with her plan to have shirtless butlers! The advertisements flew out Leanbox wide. Only one would be chosen as her ultimate shirtless butler. With Chika injured, making sure they were intelligent was also of the utmost importance. She didn't like altering what she'd planned, but had to shoehorn in some intelligence tests. Next came setting up where the tryouts would take place. In one week's time, she would have her new butler.

When the time came, many "promising" candidates showed up. All but one showed up with their shirt and coat already gone. He was a rather sleek young man with a slight tan and long braided white hair. His eyes were a dark red, and he wore half-moon eyeglasses with his uniform. He had a serious demeanor to his expression as he stood in line.

"You haven't removed your shirt yet?" Vert asked hiding her pervy grin with a folding fan.

"I feel it unnecessary to remove it as of yet, My Lady. To remove ones uniform before even being given the evaluation tests is a cocky maneuver and makes you look like a fool when you don't get it." he replied.

"Very well…" Vert sighed disappointedly.

The tests began not long after introductions. The contestants didn't know it, but they were being evaluated on those as well. The categories were Manners, Loyalty, Problem Solving, and Meal Etiquette. In each one, the slightly tan contestant seemed a few bricks above the rest. Never once did he speak out of turn in Manners, and in Loyalty he only disobeyed the order to kill his master which naturally was the trick order. In Problem Solving he certainly thought outside the box a lot. He knew how to solve the Wi-Fi problem, which was literally just a joke thrown in by Chika's suggestion. In Meal Etiquette he could have easily been mistaken for a noble. Vert couldn't take it anymore, and would have each given their results individually. She had to see under the uniform.

He was the last the come out, and his expression hadn't changed at all. Vert was slightly red in the face by now and breathing a little heavily. Her "cool" knob had completely broken.

"Before I give your results… let me see your body." Vert ordered, and he sighed doing it. His body was sculpted like an ancient statue, not for display but showing pure muscle strength on his part.

She couldn't handle the sight and a nosebleed erupted from her nose making her spin through the air startling him and Chika. Vert lay on the ground with a wide monkey grin with blood still flowing from her nose.

"He wins… he wins…" Vert giggled.

"What was your name again?" Chika asked.

"Azazel S. Jameson, Lady Chika." he replied with a respectful bow making her blush a bit.

From that day forward Herald, Vert's elderly butler, would show Azazel his duties around the Basilicom. He was to keep it strictly 80% germ free, and make sure that any clothes Lady Vert left lying around was taken to the laundry room immediately. They didn't want a repeat of the Bidding War Incident. He would also see to it the chefs prepare a healthy diet for her, and would always make sure the food wasn't poisoned. He would also see to Chika's duties should she fall ill or require recovery leave from an injury. Vert was disappointed that he didn't remain shirtless at all times, but nevertheless she understood why. Blood is a bitch to get out of the rugs.

The next morning Vert was sleeping after an all-nighter in a raid boss when the blinds opened letting in sunlight. She groaned and turned over, only for those blinds to also open.

"It is time to wake up and attend to your duties, Lady Vert." Azazel spoke bowing respectfully.

"I pulled an all-nighter… so… let Chika handle them, okay?" Vert asked.

"I'm afraid that Lady Chika is at a revisit with her doctor to check up on her recovery. She said that she will be given painkillers, which will make her understandably high, so I must attend to her duties today. Therefor you must pull your weight as the goddess." Azazel explained.

"Do I have to…?" Vert groaned.

"Yes, My Lady. Please get dressed." Azazel replied, and Vert covered her head with a pillow groaning.

Vert was understandably irritable that day, but Azazel would head her off every time she tried to sneak back to her room to sleep. At noon, after having lunch, Azazel permitted her a four hour nap but no longer. She enjoyed the hell out of that nap, and almost cried when she had to get up again. Once night had at last come, Azazel saw to it that she was in bed and not gaming. Azazel also turned off the Wi-Fi to be extra sure she couldn't sneak online in the night.

When morning came again Vert woke up with a pouting face. Azazel sighed and knew exactly why she was pouting. All the same he had her get dressed and go to work yet again. He promised her three hours of gaming after lunch, just as when he'd permitted a nap the day before. Vert felt like she was a child being babied, but she couldn't bring herself to scold him because he was just doing his job as a butler. Scolding him would be very irresponsible.

One day though, power to the entire Basilicom had been cut. An emergency system kicked in that turned Vert's office into a one-room fortress. An alarm began to blare as soldiers rushed through the building attacking the staff of the Basilicom. They'd even rendered defenseless Herald unconscious. The soldiers used night vision goggles to spot Azazel, but he was moving oddly. It looked like he was dragging something… and he was… ten bodies all tied together with their heads sliced off. Azazel's eyes were glowing in the dark instilling fear in them.

On the opposite side of the building, soldiers were trying to break into Vert's office. With them was a young woman with short red hair in a similar outfit to the assassin's with gauntlets bearing catlike hook claws rather than modified claws. Her grin was ear to ear, and her eyes matched the one Vert saw at the ball.

"Come on, come on, come on get it open! I wanna spill a goddess's guts before the day is out!" she roared hysterically.

Sure enough, the doors eventually gave in to the explosives they used. She waltzed in and saw Vert's evident fear. She'd totally forgotten her spear in the bedroom!

"Hi… ready to die?" she giggled.

"You'll have to go through… through… my butler first." Vert bluffed nervously.

"Your butler? He's out for the count, sweetie." she laughed.

"You found Herald, so what… but what about Azazel?" Vert continued to bluff.

"Who?" she asked, and down the hall sounds of horrified screams could be heard startling both.

From the dark, scratching on the wall could be heard. The scratching sound was coming closer.

"Total slaughter… total slaughter… I won't leave… a single man, alive… your bodies fall in genocide… left behind is a flood… an ocean of blood… let's begin… the killing time." Azazel's voice sang in a tenor pitch as he came into view covered in blood wearing his Noh-Mask.

The soldiers trembled in absolute fear as the woman began to laugh uncontrollably. The soldiers charged him and he made very short work of them without even getting a scratch on him. That stopped her laugher altogether as he reached the doorway.

"Azazel…?" Vert asked, and he took off the Noh-Mask showing his face.

"I knew you'd come copycat. Only a moron would attack the goddess." Azazel remarked pissing off the copycat.

"Shut up! Nobles are scum! That's why you kill them!" she roared.

"I only kill the corrupt ones. Do you see the family members crying over the loss of the ones I killed? No. That's because they knew they were corrupt, and say good riddens to them." Azazel pointed out.

"Bullshit!" she roared charging him and he easily blocked her attacks letting her wear herself out.

"Look at yourself. You're a mockery of what I stand for. In fact, you don't even pass for a parody. In other words, you aren't worth killing." Azazel lectured, and pure rage came to her as she screamed swinging at him.

A loud clang rang out, and blades flew into the air. Azazel had effortlessly broken her claws, exposing them as nothing but cheap knockoffs of his claws. She tried to continue attacking, but with one head butt he knocked her out. Azazel simply glared down at her.

"You're… the assassin…?" Vert asked shaking.

"I told you, I will watch your back if no one else will. Please, allow me to clean up and turn the power back on." Azazel stated bowing before lifting the unconscious copycat onto his shoulder.

Later that day Vert called Azazel to her office as the rescued staff cleaned the blood from the walls and floors. She was still shaken by the events of that day, but she couldn't ignore the fact he'd saved her life.

"You called for me, Lady Vert?" Azazel asked.

"Yes. You not only revealed yourself as the murderer of several nobles… but you also personally saved my life from the copycat killer. I don't know what your motives are… but I want to keep you around to see where it goes." Vert replied with his arms behind her back as she stared out the window.

"Lady Vert. My intentions are to make Leanbox a great nation again… to restore it to the days when I was a small child, before corruption turned it into hell on Gamindustri. I cannot do this without first eliminating the cause of the corruption." Azazel told her.

"Then when you kill, it will be declared in the name of Leanbox's best interests. I too would like to see the people happier than they have been. I can't stand it when someone gives me a fake smile. I want to clear the dark clouds over this nation." Vert spoke.

"I'm honored." Azazel spoke bowing.

"Henceforth you shall be known as the Assassin of Leanbox, tasked with quickly and covertly cleaning up the filth in the upper circles of our society. You will still daylight as my butler though." Vert smiled turning around.

"I accept this responsibility, My Lady." Azazel replied with a smile.

"Good. Then you can take the contacts out and stop using the spray on tan, too." Vert laughed.

"Was I that obvious?" Azazel sighed.

"I didn't want to say anything, in case it was a sensitive subject. Now I know it was so I couldn't recognize you." Vert giggled.

The following day, the staff were in disbelief. Azazel now had pale skin, his hair now had dark brown at the roots, and his eyes were ice blue as they were when he confronted Vert on the bridge. This was the real Azazel's look. He was still just as attentive to Vert doing her work, much to her dismay. Vert did feel safer though… because just like he'd said on that bridge, he had her back. He loves this country, and has accepted that if bloodshed is necessary to save it from itself then so be it.

End Chapter 4 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Werepooka of Lowee

There are many mythical creatures in Lowee. Minotaurs, Centaurs, Sirens, elusive Pookas, and the most elusive of them wall… the Werepooka. The legend says that a man was once cruel to a Pooka that had asked him to allow the Pooka and their daughter to take shelter in his cottage as the daughter was fraught with frostbite and was suffering the initial stages of hypothermia. The man shouted and roared at them, sending them away into the cold blizzard. The daughter didn't make it through the storm, so enraged the Pooka went to see a witch doctor.

"Please, how can I punish this cruel soul?" the Pooka asked.

"Drink this potion, grieving one, and give them a bite that pierces flesh. When the moon rises, their eternal punishment will begin." the Witch Doctor told the Pooka handing him a small phial.

Ordinarily Pookas are the smallest, cuddliest, friendliest monster you will ever find, but when angered they can be vicious. So the Pooka went to the man's cottage, and before he could even say anything the Pooka leapt at him and bit into his arm. The man hollered and screamed flailing about trying to get the Pooka off. He smacked it with a fire tender, and it dropped fleeing the house. The man tended to his wound, and then fetched his gun. He would follow the blood trail left by its wound and make that Pooka pay.

For hours he followed the trail, zigzagging and loop the looping between trees. At last, at sunset he found the Pooka laying exhausted near a tree stump. He laughed walking toward it taking aim.

"You have breathed your last, Pooka…" the man growled.

"I shall continue, for the moon is your punisher." the Pooka laughed despite how tired it was.

The man looked and saw the moon rising in the sky. His eyes widened, he dropped his gun, and a horrible transformation began to take place. His body distorted and twisted, his human screams of anguish were soon replaced with the primal roars of a large beast, and black fur began to cover his body. The man marveled in horror at his new shape as the Pooka laughed. He now had the appearance of a ten-foot Pooka. His fingers had elongated with his fingernails turning to long black claws. His hind legs were that of a rabbit's with his five toes having turned into four powerful front toes with a fifth higher on the leg. He howled in woe and fury as the Pooka easily made its escape underground.

Since that day, it is common belief that if a Pooka bites you, you will become a Werepooka. You will transform on every phase of the moon except for the New Moon, and lose all human rationale. You will not recognize friend or foe, and will simply be another monster in the woods. Of course, this is just a mythical story, or so people would have you believe. Most who claim to have seen them are usually making fun of those who believe they're real, and those who claim to be one are usually committed. Blanc definitely doesn't believe in stupid legends like that.

When it comes to mythical creatures, if Blanc can't see it then it doesn't exist. Werepooka are no exception, despite the fact she's seen numerous Pooka in her lifetime. One day at the table though, Rom looked particularly nervous.

"Why so nervous, Rom?" Ram asked as she wolfed down a steak.

"W-Well… there was a Werepooka sighting today… a camp site got attacked…" Rom nervously replied, and Blanc become agitated immediately.

"There is no such thing as a Werepooka, we've been over this. That was obviously just a bear or something." Blanc scolded her while cutting her steak apart in a civilized manner.

"You never know, sis. They proved that Snaggletooth Dragon Bears are real didn't they?" Ram argued.

"Listen here, I don't give a rat's ass if they prove something real, until they do it then it doesn't exist, period, got it?" Blanc growled.

"S-Sorry for bringing it up…" Rom sniffled leaving the table.

"Get back here and finish your plate!" Blanc shouted and Rom ran away crying.

"There she goes again. You should really watch it, sis." Ram scolded, and immediately regretted it when Blanc shoved her face into her mashed potatoes.

Blanc sighed and went to find her. She wasn't in the bedroom, not the laundry room, and not the library either. She came back downstairs and gasped when she saw the Basilicom doors wide open and Rom's coat and hat were gone from the nearby rack. She quickly put on her gear and rushed out after her. She followed her tracks until they mysteriously vanished. Then she heard Rom scream alerting her to which direction to run. She was sitting in the snow shaking. Blanc went to speak, but fell silent the minute she saw the depression in the snow. It was huge, and rabbit-like in shape. White fur was sitting in it.

"I-I saw it…" Rom spoke quivering.

Blanc quickly got her back to the Basilicom. She locked the doors and made sure they weren't followed. Rom was still shaking like she had hypothermia or something. Just to be sure she bathed her. Even after that Rom was still silent and shook like a Chihuahua.

"Rom, tell me, what did you see?" Blanc asked in a concerned voice.

"Y-You won't get mad…?" Rom asked.

"I won't… we both saw that depression in the snow." Blanc replied.

"I saw… a Werepooka… it was huge… pure white… it had red eyes and jagged teeth… it-it had jeans on for some reason…" Rom told her.

"You saw it with your own eyes. That's much different than a rumored sighting at a camp site where they were likely getting drunk." Blanc smiled patting her head.

"What are we gonna do? What if it makes a whole coven of them?" Rom asked nervously.

"Don't worry. Leave it to me, Rom. I won't let it hurt you or anyone else for that matter." Blanc assured her with a gentle smile.

"Really?" Rom asked smiling.

"Really-really." Blanc replied hugging her.

The following day Blanc thoroughly searched the woods. She followed the footprints from the depression, but found that they ended at the base of a tree. There was also a large pile of fur lying around. The tree had claw marks in the trunk, and some bite marks higher up. She placed a marker on the tree to give her a point of reference in her search. Wherever it whittles its teeth and claws down, its den has to be nearby. So she looked for a path of trees that have similar markings. She eventually found the stump of where a tree used to be. No trunk that should have been there was around, and it looked to have been cut down manually by the marks in it. Not far from that one, there was another tree that'd been cut down. Another, and another going deeper into the woods. The trail eventually led to a manmade pathway that'd been freshly shoveled. She began following it and eventually came to a cottage where chopping sounds could be heard nearby.

She peeked around the corner of the cottage and a nosebleed spurted forth at what she saw. A slender young man with long white hair that turns ice blue midway down wearing only blue jeans and tan boots was chopping wood with a very large ax. It was cold out, but his muscles were still on display. In fact, the cold didn't seem to bother him at all. He was chopping the wood, stacking it in the piles by type of tree, and then chopped some more. Blanc was mesmerized for a minute but then snapped back to reality land.

"You, I am the Goddess White Heart." Blanc announced herself, and he turned to look at her placing the blade end of his ax on the ground to put one foot on the blunt underside.

"The goddess? What brings you to this neck of the woods?" he asked.

"I have reason to believe that there's a Werepooka on the loose. You wouldn't happen to have any information would you?" Blanc replied.

"Well, I haven't seen anything personally. So as far as I know it's just me out in these woods, that and the Krokes up near the mountain. They're a little screwy, putting up electrified fences all around their property. What's the point of living in the woods to enjoy nature if you're going to block it out?" he answered her.

"So you haven't seen anything? Maybe know a suspicious person?" Blanc asked.

"No ma'am, can't say I have. Well, some of the trees I cut down this morning had weird marks in them, but otherwise not a thing." he replied.

"I see. Which direction would I be able to find these Krokes? I need to question everyone living in the remote area." Blanc asked.

"You'll head north from here, that way. Once you reach Forever-Iced Lake, you'll go northwest on until you reach a carved pathway. That pathway can also be used to get back to town. The Krokes love their efficiency." he explained to her pointing behind himself.

"Thank you… and your name was…?" Blanc again asked.

"Oh. Jack. Jack Horus, at your service ma'am. Best lumberjack this side of the woods… well… ONLY lumberjack this side of the woods really." he introduced himself.

"Well. I don't want to keep you from your work, Jack. I must be going." Blanc smiled and went on her way to find the Krokes.

When Blanc reached the pathway Jack spoke of, it was already a few hours past noon. She began heading up the way toward the large house that was built on the mountainside. Jack wasn't kidding about the electric fence either, because it was all around it and at least eleven feet in height. They did not want any wildlife getting into their yard. Still, she was polite and rang the buzzer at the gate.

"Yes, yes, who is it?" a male voice commanded.

"The Goddess White Heart. I need to speak with you about a very important matter that could endanger the wildlife and people living out here." Blanc told him.

"I'll decide if it's important. What is it?" the voice demanded.

"I need to ask if you've seen any signs of a Werepooka in these woods." she replied, and it went dead silent as the fence door opened.

She walked up the path to the porch. The second she went to ring the doorbell the door flung open, the floor sprang her inside, and the door closed just as fast with many locks activating. When Blanc recovered her bearings, she could see a thin man with an impressive beard sitting in a large red chair, a scrawny woman cowering behind that chair, and a small girl also hiding there.

"You'll have to excuse me wife and daughter… they're still shaken up from last night's attack." the man spoke as Blanc stood walking over to sit across from him on the loveseat.

"So you were actually attacked?" Blanc asked.

"Yes… they called us paranoid, crazy even, for fortifying our home like this but we knew the beasts weren't extinct, oh no… they are never extinct, not for long anyway. Not while Pookas still hold a grudge against man." the man replied.

"Can I get your names?" Blanc asked.

"I'm Samuel Krokes. This is my wife Jennifer and my daughter Linda. My family's been hunting Werepookas fer generations. Only I have decided to hide in fear of the beasts. I witnessed 'em tear me father limb from limb to give me mother and I a chance to escape. They're frightening, and often stand over six feet in height. Luckily they can't jump very high, so the fence can keep them from trying to get in." Samuel introduced himself and his family.

"So, how many attacked this residence last night?" Blanc asked.

"Just one… but he's ferocious, had to have been turned to have that level of primal anger. Every other night now it seems that he patrols our fence, waiting for an opportunity to get at us or inside. In fact, last night he began ramming the fence, testing it for weak spots. His red eyes were glowing brightly that night, which means that tonight a full moon is upon us." Samuel explained.

"What happens on a full moon?" Blanc asked.

"On the full moon, the compulsion to transform, hunt, and eat increases tenfold. Even when they're full, they'll keep eating and eating until they've eaten themselves into a food coma. They stop caring about their prey's defenses or numbers and go rabid on them. I bet the bastard's been waiting for the full moon too. So my family and I have even starved ourselves to try and dissuade him from coming after us by lacking any meat. They like their meals juicy." Samuel answered her, and Blanc started going a little pale as she looked out the window seeing the sun beginning to go down.

"How soon does the transformation start…?" Blanc asked nervously.

"The first instant that the moon appears in the night sky." Samuel replied as it started to get darker.

It was this moment that Blanc remembered something very important. In Lowee, it gets dark two hours sooner than Planeptune and Lastation but only one hour sooner than Leanbox. If it was getting dark already, that meant it had to be at least 6:30. Not long after the sun became obscured, and blood curdling howl shook the woods and their hearts.

"He's coming…" Jennifer spoke as she began panicking.

"Get ahold of yourself dear." Samuel ordered standing going to the fireplace for a musket.

"Let me stop him." Blanc ordered standing up.

"We couldn't ask that of the goddess." Jennifer told her.

"You are my citizens. If I don't defend you then what kind of goddess am I?" Blanc lectured before going outside summoning her hammer.

Loud footsteps were coming toward the compound, and Blanc activated HDD. Spotlights can on at the top of the house showing the perimeter where the white Werepooka who wore jeans was approaching, growling as it drooled from the mouth with hunger. White Heart stood her ground as it charged and used its sharp teeth and claws to rip apart the fence ignoring the electricity zapping it furiously. Once it'd made a big enough hole it stalked into the yard growling as White Heart steadily followed it. It stood on its hind legs then showing its incredible height, and then let out a ground-shaking howl before leaping at White Heart.

She rolled out of the way and swung at it missing by the hair of its tail. It showed incredible flexibility and agility as it continued trying to harm her. Samuel shot at it from the window making a hole in its ear causing it to roar at him giving White Heart an opening to slam her weapon into its face, but only made a small cut as it growled returning its attention to her. Its attacks were more ferocious now making her ability to dodge shakier as its anger rose more and more. She'd never fought an enemy like this before, and it was showing.

All of a sudden another howl was heard, and a bright pink Werepooka leapt into the yard pinning White Heart down from behind digging its claws into her back making her cry out in pain. She was freed when the white Werepooka rammed it off her. The two Werepooka began to fight ferociously as White Heart tried to stand. Samuel rushed out and pulled her to the porch to hide.

"What the hell's happening?" White Heart asked still in pain.

"Werepooka are extremely competitive for food. They especially hate it when another tries to steal their prey. Those two are going to fight to the death over who gets to eat you." Samuel explained.

The two Werepooka continued to fight and fight badly wounding each other until the white made a nasty slash wound in the pink's neck making it retreat out of the hole the white made in the fence as the white roared triumphantly. White Heart came back out of hiding drawing its attention as it seemed to tiredly stalk around her once again. It'd spent a lot of energy fighting the other one.

It charged and White Heart easily telegraphed its movement this time. She slammed the blunt end of her weapon into its throat downing it with a loud yelp. It tried to stand and she hooked its neck with the inner blunt curve to fling it onto its back slamming hard on the ground sliding a bit. It tried to get back up, and White Heart slugged it rendering it unconscious.

"Are you going to kill it?" Samuel asked.

"No. I'm going to see just who this Werepooka is." White Heart replied.

So White Heart employed the Krokes family's help using their truck to haul it to the Basilicom. There she had her injuries treated and the strongest cage in Lowee history constructed to hold the Werepooka inside was built in the depths of the Lowee Basilicom's dungeon. Once morning came, she went down to see if they'd changed back. The cage had signs that it'd woken up at some point, but laying in the center looking exhausted was Jack. His jeans were overstretched, giving Blanc a slight nosebleed as some rips in the pants gave an 18+ view. He came to after Blanc tapped on the bars of the cage.

"So you're a Werepooka. Why play dumb when I asked you?" Blanc asked.

"I never said I… wasn't… you only asked… if I'd seen signs of one… not if I was one…" Jack panted trying to stand showing that his injuries from the fight had all vanished.

"Where did your injuries go?" Blanc asked.

"What?" Jack asked.

"You fought another Werepooka while we fought, you were badly wounded, where did the wounds go?" Blanc demanded to know.

"Werepookas have an accelerated healing cycle. Humans heal at double-time, Werepookas heal at octuple-time. Call it a "Hyper Healing" ability if you want…" Jack explained tiredly sitting up against the wall of the cage.

"That explains why my weapon didn't seem to cut you much, it just healed that fast due to being shallow in comparison to the wounds the opposing Werepooka made." she reasoned.

"I don't remember a thing when I change… all I know is that I always wake up in the same place, at Forever-Ice Lake… I might have hurt people, maybe even killed them… but I have no memory of it, I swear." Jack confessed.

"So you were turned, then, and aren't cursed the conventional way?" Blanc asked.

"I don't even remember that day properly… I cut a hole in the ice of the lake to do a little night fishing, I heard a growl, and next thing I knew I woke up in a hospital where I'd apparently been mauled by an animal where my parents found me." Jack replied.

"That doesn't make up for the people you might have killed." Blanc told him coldly.

"You think I don't know that?! I have to live with it every day… and I don't even know their names or faces…" Jack sighed on the brink of tears.

"Is there any way for you to gain control?" Blanc asked.

"I don't know." he replied.

Blanc decided to research the elusive Werepooka, beyond what the legend talks about. She found numerous tales of Werepookas, ways people have supposedly cured themselves, ways to actually kill a Werepooka, and many more. She then came to a very old story, one that told of accepting the Werepooka as part of yourself after being turned. It told of a man who was turned when he was but a child, and lived a life of sorrow having killed his parents and siblings, living life as a hermit. One day, he came upon a monk living on a mountain. The monk smiled at him, and asked if he desired to become one with the beast inside of himself. The man was perplexed, and even skeptical if the monk could help him. Even still, it was better than living life as a monster waiting to claw out of its cage.

For weeks the monk taught the man about the principles of inner peace and meditation to clear the mind of worldly desires. The man enjoyed the teachings and lessons, and before he knew it two years had passed. The monk then posed the true test of knowing the teachings and taking them to heart… to meditate under the full moon, and maintain control of himself even while his body has taken the shape of a beast. The man, terrified, turned it down. The monk did not berate him or urge him to accomplish the task, he smiled and simply told him that when he feels he is ready the task will await him. If he does not believe he can do it, then he is destined to fail. Only when he can see himself overcoming the obstacle in his life, will he be able to attain true inner peace.

Another year passed, and the monk had become ill. A month after that, the monk passed away. The man mourned the death of the only friend he'd had in decades, and came to a sort of enlightenment. What the teachings encompassed was more than just inner peace, but also to bolster the self-confidence of "if I believe I can, then I shall succeed". So on the evening of the full moon, as the sun began to set, the man sat in the courtyard and began to meditate. He slowed his breathing, and focused his mind clearing it of worldly desires. He continued to remain in lotus position for hours, and when he opened his eyes he found that he was no longer tiny compared to the gate. He was almost reaching it. He looked down, and marveled to find himself transformed into the beast he only knew from his nightmares. He had control, no impulses, and freedom of himself. Through acceptance of his inner demons he had tamed himself, a Werepooka. This gave Blanc the plausible idea of trying to have Jack force himself to transform.

She brought it up with him, and he seemed confused by it. It didn't go into depth on those teachings, but he still believed that it's worth a shot. So he decided to remain in the cage to meditate and try to clear his head. In the time that he kept doing that, occasionally Blanc would visit to learn a little more about him. She found out that Jack was only just turning seventeen, despite living alone. His body is also immune to the cold due to being a Werepooka, who naturally live in nature throughout all seasons and as such have adapted body systems that very easily withstand the extreme cold and the extreme heat. He liked mystery novels, and enjoyed playing games with other kids even if he had to stop due to his transformations at night.

Occasionally Rom would follow Blanc down to see him. He'd address Rom, but then she'd hide behind Blanc. Blanc knew she was curious, but his roars and howls at night were keeping her up. Seeing him was more or less to help her get over it, while noticing that Blanc was taking a liking to him. She snuck out of her room one night to find Blanc watching as Jack growled in his cell glaring due to his captive state. The nights went on and he seemed to become tamer over time. One morning though, Rom and Ram approached his cell.

"So this is the prisoner, huh?" Ram asked Rom.

"He isn't a prisoner. He's just having trouble controlling himself." Rom replied.

"He's in a cage, not allowed to leave, he's totally a prisoner." Ram argued.

"So you have a twin sister? Heh… you two sure make things tough on your sister, you know that?" Jack chuckled.

"What's it to you? You love our sister or something?" Ram accused.

"Eh… I'm sure she's just showing sympathy for a guy like me. I mean, I turn into a giant killer rabbit at night… know any girls that'd realistically fall for me?" Jack joked.

"What a weirdo…" Ram mocked him.

"Don't call him that." Rom scolded.

"He walks around without a shirt, his pants are barely holding together, and he turns into a rabbit. He qualifies as a weirdo in my book." Ram argued mockingly.

"You're wrong, he's really nice. Blanc said so in her diary." Rom argued back.

"Oh, so it's you that's been going through her diary." Jack chuckled.

"Blanc's been getting really pissed about that, Rom." Ram scolded.

"I-I wanted to know how she really felt about him… what if it's like Beauty and the Geese?" Rom whined.

"I'll bite, what'd she write, Rom?" Ram asked.

"S-She wrote down… all of his personal details, and she's been plugging them into a matchup chart of some kind. She gets lost in thought when she says his name sometimes too." Rom told her, and Jack blushed a bit.

"Did you two stage this? She's so going to be pissed when she finds out." Jack told them with a smile.

"We didn't stage anything!" Ram exclaimed before taking Rom's hand fleeing the dungeon.

"Hmm… you know, I've always wondered if it was wrong to pick up girls from the inside of a prison cell. Moreover, I wondered if there was a girl that could fall for a fuzzy-wuzzy with teeth like me… guess I have my answer." Jack smiled talking to himself.

The next morning when Blanc came to check on him, she was astounded. He was still sleeping, but he was still in his Werepooka form. She called to him and his ears perked making one of his eyes open showing that instead of bright red it was now cobalt blue. He sat up and yawned showing his many sharp teeth.

"Jack…?" Blanc asked.

"Morning…" Jack spoke scratching his side.

"You transformed." Blanc pointed out, and he looked himself over.

"I… certainly have…" Jack spoke dumbfounded as to why he was changed still.

Blanc opened the cage door and walked toward him. She nervously felt the fur on his body to find that, when he isn't trying to rip her apart, his fur is ridiculously soft. It was like she was touching a bushy silk blanket or something. She continued to run her hands through his fur and froze as soon as Jack purred. Both went deep red.

"S-Sorry… it was relaxing…" Jack spoke.

"D-Did you have to purr?" Blanc asked nervously.

"Sorry…" Jack apologized, and then he began shrinking to normal size as his fur fell off.

Blanc got an immediately nosebleed, and Jack immediately knew why. He hadn't replaced his jeans since transforming on the full moon that day… and they'd finally given in to the abuse. Blanc tried to keep the image out of her head while getting him something to wear before he could return to his cottage for fresh clothes. He then returned wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with his new pair of jeans.

"I'd like to thank you for… helping me." Jack spoke.

"You know… these two are a handful on my own… maybe you'd like to… consider coming to be their babysitter while I work?" Blanc suggested nervously.

"The pair seem friendly enough. I don't see why not." Jack laughed rubbing the back of his head.

"We don't NEED a babysitter." Ram growled crossing her arms.

"I wouldn't mind it. He's a nice man." Rom smiled, and Ram immediately puffed her cheeks in frustration.

From that day on Jack would visit the Basilicom daily to babysit Rom and Ram. He soon found he could transform individual limbs, and used that to his advantage when Ram would misbehave and flee. He'd read books to Rom when she asked, and he'd play games with Ram if he wasn't preoccupied with Rom. He tried his best to juggle the two's requests, and at the same time began making the two become warmer toward him. Rom occasionally called him "big brother" when she was really having fun or was tired from him reading the book to her. Ram hated the idea of him being their brother, but still had a tsundere attachment to him since he didn't play favorites between them. Blanc was happy to be able to get her work done faster than usual so she could read books she was behind on, write fanfiction, and post on her goddess blog in peace.

Whenever Blanc would check up on them, she'd smile to see the both of them so happy to have more than just one extra person to yank around. Mina was glad she didn't have to be both their educator and playmate anymore as well. In fact, she welcomes Jack with open arms. The Basilicom didn't need to spend money on firewood anymore either, since Jack is a lumberjack by trade. Now and then he'd bring a sled of wood with him. This caused a rumor among the people that maybe Lady White Heart was dating, which while it flattered Blanc, she was too nervous to ask him directly. Some people wondered why he began carrying his ax around about ten weeks after he began his new job, and the answer is simpler than you'd think. Ram has taken a liking to a more melee fighting style, and Mina isn't trained to handle that kind of opponent, so Jack steps in to help Ram get better at melee combat. This also showed Jack to be pretty competent in battle despite the size of his ax.

This was the fourth event to have been monitored carefully by the ashes of Arfoire's cult. They'd stopped desiring to revive her, and looked to a greater prospect for making Gamindustri theirs to control. They discovered something that should be able to squash even the goddesses… all they needed… was to set a few things into play to get the ball rolling.

End Chapter 5


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Rising Tensions

It's almost been a full year since Neptune and Weiss married. In that time, Neptune has become more productive than ever. She's begun getting up on her own, and even actively training. She's also developed a nasty habit of trying to get Weiss beneath her hoodie dress. He refuses each time, finding some excuse to avoid it. Neptune then got a bright idea, since they always take Sunday to rest. She'd try setting the mood by taking Weiss out on a date! Mood had to be the reason he hadn't given the story an NC17 rating yet! She began devising a plan, and then on Wednesday she approached him as he trained one morning.

"Weissy, we're going on a date Sunday!" Neptune exclaimed making him stop palm thrusting a punching bag to look at her.

"What brings this on?" Weiss asked.

"Simple. Every Sunday it's the same thing, I play videogames and you meditate. We haven't done anything married couples do at all! So I say we fix that by going on a date this Sunday!" Neptune exclaimed.

"If you insist." Weiss replied with a sweat drop.

Neptune worked diligently through the rest of the week. She wanted to rack up as many completed jobs as possible, so that there are zero interruptions and ways he can weasel out of it when her plan reaches its climax. When Sunday rolled around, Neptune transformed and put on a special hoodie dress she had Compa make for her. It was perfectly sized for both her HDD form and her human form.

When Weiss exited the Basilicom Neptune's jaw dropped. He was in street clothes! He was wearing brown loafers, blue jeans with a belt, and a short-sleeved black t-shirt with Neptune's trademark N symbol on the upper back. His hair was in a low ponytail, and he was wearing his wedding ring for all to see. He usually wore it on a necklace chain so it wouldn't get damaged when out on jobs, so it surprised her to see him actually wearing it. He seemed a little nervous though.

"Ready?" Purple Heart asked hooking his arm.

"When you are." Weiss replied, and she tugged him along.

Purple Heart's plan first involved the Planeptune National Amusement Park. A day there has always received pleasant reviews when used for first dates. The very first thing they did was go on the Dragon's Tongue rollercoaster. Weiss had never been on a rollercoaster before, and Purple Heart had been meaning to give it a whirl since it was added a few years ago. The line was a thirty-minute wait, but eventually they could get on it sitting at the front. They learned two things after that ride. One, Weiss handles high g-forces very well… two, Purple Heart can't. He comfortingly rubbed her back while holding her hair back as she got it all out.

When she was better, they went on rides that didn't use such heavy g-forces. The day continued to prove fun for both of them as they proceeded to go on every ride the park had to offer. Weiss even showed his sharpshooter skills winning Neptune a XX-Large Dogoo plush. In the haunted house Purple Heart learned that Weiss really hates scorpions… as they had to thoroughly apologize to the actor dressed as a half-man half-scorpion monstrosity after Weiss palm struck him when he leapt out. Once evening began rolling around, they went on the Ferris wheel and got a beautiful view of Planeptune City lit up in the evening sky. A gentle breeze was blowing as Purple Heart looked at Weiss's face as he looked at the city. He was genuinely smiling… something that was rare in of itself. When they got off the ride, Purple Heart couldn't feel any tension in his hand as she held it anymore. It was time for Phase 2…

"Weissy, there's a place I'd like to go." Purple Heart suggested, and she led him along to find he was following without hesitation now.

They arrived at The Demon's Lounge, a notorious love hotel popular among teenagers and adults alike. Weiss, someone who doesn't know much about these buildings, would be none the wiser as she got them a room. She then led him to Room 215 on the second floor, also notably a VIP Room on the account that she's the goddess. Once inside the room, the door locks until the time is up… and Purple Heart made sure to RSVP for overnight, meaning it won't open until 8am the next morning.

Purple Heart then went to shower first to allow Weiss to relax a bit. Once she'd finished, she had Weiss go in so she could get everything set. Candles, soothing music, and a lovely cherry blossom incense… all to get that mood just right, or at least she hoped. When Weiss exited she loosened her robe's sash to show cleavage as she lay on the bed with one leg sticking out of the skirt.

"So Weiss… are you ready to take this date to the… next level?" Purple Heart suggested posing her leg making Weiss freeze in place.

"Neptune…" Weiss commented trying to keep focused on her face.

"What's wrong, Weiss? It isn't so unnatural for a husband and wife to be attracted to one another, is it?" Purple Heart spoke with a wink.

In Weiss's head, shoulder angels appeared for him. One took the appearance of his old self with a halo, the other was his current self with wings. They startled him at first.

"Weiss, you are the man of this situation, so you must be responsible. Chances are that there's protection somewhere you can use." his angel spoke.

"Screw that shit, it'll feel a thousand times better raw…" his devil growled like a tiger.

"That's how babies are made." his angel argued.

"He's married." his devil shot back.

"You must consider his wife's feelings. Does she want a child?" his angel continued to argue, and Weiss swiped both off his shoulders in an annoyed state.

"Well, Weiss?" Purple Heart asked sliding her robe down a little more.

Weiss cracked his knuckles, and decided to take the responsible approach. It was a long night, and Purple Heart made sure that Weiss was embracing her until the two both passed out. In Purple Heart's dreams as they lay on the bed, she saw an odd sight. She found herself standing in Controller Forest during the wintertime. Warrior Priests and Priestesses then rushed by her toward soldiers in black. A horrid bloody battle went on, and among them was a younger Weiss, but whenever someone would say his name their voice would immediately die. Then to her horror, they charged Weiss after slaying the soldiers in black only for him to cut them all down with cold eyes, only Weiss seemed slower… having more human reflexes than when she'd fought him. He was taking injuries, but he didn't waiver and killed every single one of them… except for one Warrior Priestess who called out to him in tears. Despite Weiss's injuries, he walked away from the survivor despite how she called for him to kill her too.

Everything faded, and then Purple Heart overheard a conversation. She turned around to see Weiss confronted by an otherworldly cloaked being standing before Weiss. Weiss looked to be on his last legs. His body was riddled with the weapons his enemies and comrades alike, and blood was spilling from him at an alarming rate.

"You desire power…?" the being spoke.

"I need to satiate the cry… of my heart… I need to fill it…" Weiss cried.

"Then… eat this… and remove the shackles of human limits… you will gain power unimaginable… whether it will fill the void you are feeling… is your risk…" the being cackled presenting a black apple, but Weiss took it taking a bite of it without hesitation.

Weiss's eyes widened and he began choking as he staggered back. The being began laughing hysterically as Weiss yanked the weapons from his body splattering more blood onto the ground. Only instead of bleeding out the injuries were healing at an abnormal rate. Each one he pulled out, no matter how severe the wound should be, healed. Then, she noticed it… his eyes were blue… but they began turning red, and that his hair was actually a caramel brown but was darkening to its current shade. Weiss fell to his knees breathing heavily holding his chest.

"W-What… did you do to me?!" Weiss demanded to know.

"I removed your mortal bounds… your body's composition is now closer to that of a god, ever growing stronger… limitless potential… with a hyper-extended lifespan to go with it. Of course, there is a price for this power… you. No one in Gamindustri will be able to say your name when referring to you… that man no longer exists in this plane, banished by the shell that once bore the name." the being cackled.

"Why… why would you do this to me?!" Weiss roared.

"You are but a foolish human… who doesn't know his own heart… until you learn what it is your heart years for… you shall continue to live on, eternally growing stronger and stronger, full of your own rage and hate, until you discover what it is that your heart cries out for. Your name shall reflect your decision on this day… Weiss Winters… representing the white winter that you killed so many people during…" the being growled, and then vanished leaving Weiss to cry in the snow.

Purple Heart started to drift from the scene, and she ran to try and comfort the crying Weiss. She tried to call out to him, but no words left her mouth as Weiss continued to get further and further away. When she woke up she'd reverted and she could hear the shower going. Weiss had gotten up before her. Was she seeing that because she was cuddled up against him? Neptune understood now why Weiss challenged and killed so many people. He was looking for the answer. What made him walk eternally as a ghost of who he was a lack of love. He hadn't been filled with rage since their wedding now that she'd thought of it. He'd been calm, and seemed like any other Warrior Priest.

Neptune knew why he'd asked her if she could say "I love you" now. If she really felt that way about him, it'd break whatever curse he was under. She then decided that maybe she could make herself fall for real. Weiss was in pain, and as things stood only she could do something about it. On the entire walk back to the Basilicom she held Weiss's hand. How could she make herself truly fall in love?

Once they arrived, Nepgear speared Neptune. She was evidently very angry with her. Weiss effortlessly lifted her off Neptune as she wheezed for air.

"How could you leave me alone to do the night work?! It's scared out after dark! I hate doing the night work!" Nepgear complained flailing.

"Sorry sis… kinda just happened." Neptune chuckled sitting up.

"You also have a Goddess Conference to attend today." Nepgear told her.

"When and where?" Neptune asked.

"It's being held here, but it starts in ten minutes. Everyone's waiting." Nepgear told her, and Neptune went pale.

"Crap! I haven't even gotten to change into fresh clothes yet!" Neptune exclaimed, and moved like a rocket to her room to change, and then rushes back out tripping over her half-on sock.

"Neptune, take it easy, if you're a little late they'll understand. They're your friends too, plus you're married and have to somehow prioritize it all." Weiss assured her helping her up and then pulled her sock all the way up to her thigh where it belonged.

Neptune kissed him and made her way to the conference room. She opened the door confidently… for her forehead to be greeted by a boot.

"You're late!" Noire roared.

"Cut her some slack, Noire. She's a taken woman, so she was likely recovering from being taken." Vert giggled.

"T-That's so lewd!" Noire scolded.

"She's married, it's something married couples do. Get over it." Blanc sighed.

"So, what's this meeting about?" Neptune asked sitting down at the table.

"We asked Histoire about certain things, and she looked in her book about it… and stumbled upon Paragraph 986 Subparagraph 183 Section D… the actual marriage clause for goddesses." Noire replied.

"What's it say?" Neptune asked, and Histoire entered the room placing her book down.

"It states… 'Any goddesses who wish to court while they are in power must obey the following rules: Forever be faithful… hold them to the highest standard in regards to the law… and within the first year of marriage you must begin bearing their child.'" Histoire explained while pointing to it.

"I-Is there a punishment for failing to meet that requirement…?" Neptune asked nervously.

"I don't see any listed punishment… but there is a small line that reads 'legally binding until conditions are violated' though." Histoire replied.

"So it could be inferred that if Neptune doesn't take it… her marriage will be null and void?" Noire asked.

"Maybe so, because Weiss upholds the law like his life depends on it. Duels are covered under the law, so we can't actually call his murders illegal." Vert reasoned.

"Your anniversary is in five days too." Histoire told Neptune.

"F-Five days?! You mean to tell me I have to get knocked up in five days or I'm single again!?" Neptune exclaimed.

"According to the vagueness of the book, yes…" Histoire sighed.

"That isn't good. That means that Weiss is going to find out he was deceived one way or the other…" Blanc gasped.

"That could mean death for Neptune…" Vert spoke trying not to think of the implications.

"Neptune… it's your choice… will you tell him and attempt to pursue the relationship… or will you tell him and end it?" Histoire asked, and Neptune slumped in her chair.

"I… you think I can just decide in a split second…? Before getting to know him he was just a power hungry monster… but… now…" Neptune stammered.

"You don't have the luxury of time either." Noire sighed.

"So why did this require all of you coming here?" Neptune asked.

"In case he does go ballistic. He couldn't be able to handle all four of us, right?" Noire reasoned.

"I need a walk…" Neptune sighed leaving the room followed by Histoire.

"Do you love him?" Histoire asked making Neptune freeze.

"I…" Neptune choked unable to move.

"If you don't love him, then it's torturing yourself to try and meet that requirement." Histoire told her.

"I… I…" Neptune stammered.

"I'm being cruel, but only because otherwise you'll put it off until the last minute. Neptune, if you love him… say it right now… from the bottom of your heart, with every inch of the feelings you have for him, scream the words…" Histoire ordered.

"I don't love him…" Neptune admitted falling to her knees.

"Then you need to tell him… we lied… to save your life." Histoire sighed.

"I… thought if I convinced myself I did… maybe I really would… but I don't… even after last night, I don't love him…" Neptune sobbed and the sound of a door could be heard.

"He overheard…" Histoire gasped, and Neptune ran the door flinging it open to see Weiss among the crowd of Planeptunians, sword and all.

"Weiss!" Neptune cried charging after him, but the crowd was too thick.

She lost sight of him, and by the time the crowds cleared up… he was gone. Neptune locked herself in her room after that. Nepgear and Histoire tried to coax her out, but she refused. She looked at Weiss's weapons and other objects, and it only hurt her more. What she thought was love… was pity because of his curse. At that same moment, dark clouds began to circle around Planeptune's skies. It looked like a normal storm at first, but something was definitely off.

A day passed, then another… Neptune remained locked up. Nepgear walked up to the door and sat down by it. She was effected by Weiss leaving as well.

"Neptune… remember when he first began staying here at the Basilicom? When I first saw him, I thought you were a goner. He'd inflicted the injuries on you, yet he was also the reason you recovered from them. I think he genuinely wanted you to love him… to have someone, anyone, love him. You can still love him you know… after everything he's done for us… for you. The people have never loved you more than they have since you got married. Our shares have never been higher. You learned something about him right? Something he's never told anyone?" Nepgear spoke shedding tears.

That gave her an idea… she saw his past when sleeping on Weiss… but what if she focused and learned the past recorded in his weapons? She rushed to his swords and grabbed the one she believed looked the oldest and most battle worn. She sat on the floor with it in her lap, and began to concentrate. She'd seen it on TV a thousand times, so surely it had to work. In her concentration she began phasing between her HDD and normal forms. When she fully became Purple Heart she began seeing it with her minds' eye. The room shifted, and became Noire's office. A small boy was handcuffed forced on his knees before Noire.

"I don't have any laws that deal with little kids… so I'm going to give you one chance to redeem yourself… or I throw you in a jail cell." Noire threatened the boy.

"Stuff it and get pregnant, jerk-goddess…" the boy growled.

"What a mouth! I know just the place to send you… a place that'll make you fear EVER swearing again… the Warrior Priest's Monastery. You just might learn to be polite to your patron goddess too." Noire ordered, and a guard took him away as he swore at her.

The scenery began to change again. Now it showed the front of a temple where the boy was forced into a Warrior Priests' uniform with a small blade on his back. A middle-aged man was there with him along with a Warrior Priestess.

"This is my son, _. Lady Black Heart has ordered that he train here." the man greeted her.

No name… that meant that the boy was Weiss as a child! He was a real troublemaker by the looks of it. She continued to watch him grow up. His troubles adjusting from being antisocial and hateful towards his fellow trainees to eventually defending his weaker classmates from upperclassmen. Weiss began to mellow out, and even if she couldn't hear them say his real name she knew they were his friends. She wasn't used to seeing him smile so much. In fact, he smiled so much that it brought the smile he'd made on the Ferris wheel back into her mind. She even saw the romance he'd been forming with the girl he spared in the war. They'd get close to doing the deed, but inevitably would stop out of fear of what trouble breaking the teachings would bring.

Then came the funeral for Weiss's father, and scenes where he'd visit his mother in the hospital. She'd tell him over and over again how proud she was that he'd changed his path in life, and that Lady Black Heart sent him to be a Warrior Priest. After Weiss turned eighteen, the Lastation Civil War began. Just as history showed, it was bloody and consumed many lives. The Warrior Priests' numbers were dwindling, and were forced to early-graduate the best of each year to remedy that. Weiss, his lover, and several others of their year were chosen to be a unit.

Weiss refused to lead them at first, scared of combat. That was until the rebels attacked the hospital his mother was in. A bomb had destroyed her life support… and in five short minutes, she was killed. This drove him over the edge, and he led them to the Battle of Controller Forest. There, the unthinkable happened. All but his lover turned on him, and forced him to fight them. The betrayal snapped his mind, and while he left his lover alive, he killed every single person he found, friend or foe, in the forest. He'd gone insane, completely broken. His heart now had a void in it, one that seemed endless… the place love once called home. The rest… was history.

Purple Heart knew the whole story now, and her heart resonated with a warmth she hadn't known before. She knew all about him now, so much she could be him… and she accepted that as Weiss. His old name didn't matter to her, because she knew him by his new name… the name that he earned. His name was Weiss Winters, and through his past, seeing his habits, knowing what he's really like… but there was one thing keeping her from achieving her goal. The answer was simple… in plain sight… why she couldn't romantically love Weiss… her divinity. Her role as a goddess locked up her heart, because romantic love would give potential terrorists another weapon to use against her. She stood with a confident expression.

"I'm going to temporarily quit being a goddess!" Neptune shouted.

End Chapter 6


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Arrival! The Original Goddess Appears!

"M-Make you human?!" Histoire asked in absolute shock.

"All I need is the days until my marriage expires. If I'm human, I can fall in love. Any feelings I have before ascending humanity get carried over. If Noire can only feel lust for that guy of hers, then our divinity has to be what's getting in the way of actually loving them." Neptune reasoned.

"Planeptune's power will die if you become mortal." Nepgear told her.

"Not if you temporarily take over as CPU. Once I become human it should automatically upgrade you." Neptune smiled.

"If you do this… you will age a bit as a result. This will mean no-more slacking with your figure." Histoire warned.

"Hey, I might actually look the part of the older sister." Neptune grinned.

"Neptune…" Nepgear whined.

"Don't worry sis. I'll return to my post as soon as I'm done. You're the only one I can trust with this." Neptune beamed at her.

"I… r-really?" Nepgear asked.

"Really-really. All right Histy, hit me!" Neptune ordered.

"Very well. Goddess and CPU Purple Heart, you have elected to vacate your title as Planeptune's Goddess… this is your one chance to reconsider. It will be a lengthy process to make you a goddess again. Are you ready?" Histoire asked opening her book causing the room to go dark as the lights flickered.

Suddenly from the book purple lightning began to shock Neptune causing the visage of Purple Heart to rise out of her body causing her body to age to that of a pre-teen. Neptune fell to her knees breathing heavily as the lights returned to normal. She wobbled to her feet using Weiss's sword to keep from falling back over.

"My clothes are a little tight…" Neptune groaned.

"I think you'll fit my clothes now, so I'll lend you something." Nepgear chuckled.

Neptune changed into a black and red sailor dress and began her search. She asked around and learned that he'd gone to Lastation. Neptune had a hunch that he'd gone back to the monastery, so she had Nepgear fly her there instead of waiting on a Terraportation Shuttle. They hurried to where the monastery was based on where people said it would be located. What they found was the makings of a bloodbath. They hurried inside and to the courtyard to find Weiss there. A black and dark purple aura was radiating from his chest making his face dark and his stare cold as ice. In the dirt a magic circle was carved as the blood of the priests and priestesses filled the grooves.

"Weiss!" Neptune called to him and he slowly turned to them as the aura seemed to become furious.

"What's happening to him…?" Nepgear asked shaking.

"Simple… he is about to surrender his heart to awaken the grand creator… Nova Heart…" someone spoke, and then several cloaked beings leapt down from nowhere.

"Like hell he is!" Neptune growled brandishing Weiss's old sword.

"Hmph. Weiss… awaken to your calling… awaken as her GSU!" one of the beings ordered Weiss, and the aura around him became more intense and began to consume his entire body.

"Typical… he's still holding on to mortality." another scoffed.

"Fine, hold them off while we weaken the rest of his free will." a third one sighed.

Neptune and Nepgear charged into battle with the cloaked beings. Neptune found it much harder to fight using a heavy sword now that she was human though. If it were in pristine condition, she doubted she'd be able to lift it so casually. Neptune wasn't too fond of the fact that her injuries didn't heal rapidly like they did when she was a goddess anymore. Even so she continued to fight her adversaries with Nepgear's help.

The fighting stopped when a massive red lightning bolt came down and struck Weiss. Neptune ran to him as his form morphed a bit. The aura and robe became replaced by a thick blood red mantle exposing the sleeveless black shirt underneath. His left arm's veins became ice blue and the skin became like a demon's growing claws, a dark red coloration, and black designs. He became deathly pale as his eyes became a piercing red, his hair turned white growing out significantly as it spiked up, and his sword became large and demonic in appearance. Weiss remained motionless for a minute, but then sighed standing up straight glaring forward.

"Yes… yes… he's become her GSU!" one of the members laughed as Neptune reached him.

"Weiss! Weiss what did they do to you?!" Neptune demanded to know on the verge of tears.

"Neptune… die." Weiss growled and he swung his massive blade at her making Nepgear tackle her out of the way in the nick of time.

"Weiss!" Neptune called to him as Nepgear pulled her away.

"Neptune, he's going to kill us! We have to leave!" Nepgear told her continuing to pull.

Weiss began slowly stomping toward them leaving embers with each step. His glare was terrifying. Neptune began crying as they ran from the monastery. They quickly made for the Basilicom. Noire about fell over her chair when she tried to rush to them. While Uni treated Neptune's wounds Nepgear explained what she'd tried to do and what happened at the monastery.

"Neptune you idiot… giving up your divinity is possibly the worst thing you could have done." Noire scolded.

"Noire… when I saw his past… when I think of him… and our time together… before I gave it up, I felt like he was just a close friend… but now that it's gone… when I think of him I get butterflies in my stomach and my heart starts to race. I actually feel like solidifying our marriage now, without any pity or doing it to save my skin." Neptune told her with a smile and tears in her eyes.

"You gave it up for love… that's a stupid move." Uni scoffed.

"How can we help you get Weiss back?!" Noire exclaimed taking Neptune's hand.

"N-Noire?" Uni asked confused.

"Uni, we goddesses can never truly attain romantic love because of our vows. Neptune chose to give up her duty as a goddess to find the love that should have been there between her and Weiss." Noire told her.

"I… I didn't know that…" Uni stuttered.

"Auron!" Noire called, and in he came.

"Yes?" he asked.

"We're going to help Neptune retrieve her lover!" Noire ordered.

"Got it." Auron nodded.

"Thank you." Neptune smiled.

They then began going to the monastery again. Weiss had killed the followers and was casting a spell on the circle. More and more lightning began striking the circle, and then in a burst of light a very well-endowed voluptuous woman with very long white hair wearing black two-piece HDD outfit with thigh-high boots and full-arm gloves bearing veins on them along with a heart shaped hole in the chest of the top. In the veins a rainbow energy was flowing. Her wings were dragonic in appearance, and her crown looked like a halo formed out of horns.

"Lady Dos…" Weiss spoke softly extending a hand to help her stand.

"This world… such discord… divided by such petty things…" she sighed opening her eyes to reveal even her irises were cycling rainbows.

"Who are you?" Noire asked.

"Hear me, goddesses… I am your originator… your mother goddess… the original being… Dos, Goddess and Supreme Ruler of Gamindustri." she introduced herself spreading her immense wings.

"Dos? As in the tyrant that the four heroes of legend had to rebel against to save humanity?" Neptune asked confused.

"Tyrant… is that the lowly title the people have given me in my absence? I shall have to punish humanity severely for this mockery." Dos growled.

"Lady Dos… please… all I ask is that I have Weiss back." Neptune asked stepping forward.

"You are Purple Heart… created in my image… and you gave up divinity for love? You fool… love will only bring goddesses death and woe! We do not age, therefor love is pointless to us as we will outlive our partner! A Goddess Support Unit… they live forever… never aging… never changing… a static weapon to defend our honor. It is the highest honor pathetic humans like him can hope to achieve." Dos lectured hugging Weiss affectionately.

"Don't… call him pathetic… when you don't know him!" Neptune roared charging swinging at her, but Weiss stopped her blade dead with his causing her to split in two.

"You don't even know his true name, yet you claim to love him… you truly are shallow, a child who doesn't understand what it truly means to love someone." Dos mocked Neptune as she trembled on the verge of tears in her rage.

"I don't need to know his real name… he hates that part of his past… so why bring up something that will only rip open old wounds?!" Neptune roared managing to slip past Weiss to slug Dos in the cheek, but she didn't fall or even more… Neptune's fist stopped dead doing little more the smoosh her cheek.

"Oh my, the ex-goddess plans to fisticuffs with me… fair warning… I don't hold back." Dos grinned before slamming her fist into Neptune's jaw sending her flying to the wall making it collapse.

"Neptune!" Nepgear cried rushing to her.

"I win." Dos scoffed with a cocky smile.

"She was under you, my lady." Weiss spoke.

"I like to humor the weak sometimes… but I must retrieve my weapon. Let us depart for Celestia." Dos chuckled turning around with Weiss behind her.

Neptune struggled to her feet with double vision of them. She used the last of her energy to sprint to Weiss and hug him from behind. Weiss growled, and knocked her on her back. Neptune lay there breathing heavily as Weiss aimed his arm at her making a dark purple void begin to form.

"You lied and plotted in secret… with no clue what love is… no you can be alone with your schemes…" he growled blasting her with the void appearing to consume her.

Neptune felt herself falling… and landed softly somewhere cold. She opened her eyes and saw ice for a sky, but she wasn't submerged anywhere. Her injuries seemed to heal during the transfer, but she still felt the sting of Dos's punch on her mouth. She sat up to find herself in snow, and only a few inches from her seemed to be Weiss. She rolled him over and tried to shake him awake. When his eyes opened, they were lifeless, and he didn't say anything.

"Weiss… what's wrong…? Answer me…" Neptune begged, but he was unresponsive.

She then looked around her surroundings. They were outside of a large temple that went above-ground. Weiss stood and drew his blade startling Neptune. When he swung she closed her eyes, but then a whine made them open wide as a wolf monster fell dead behind her. It'd been cloaked by the ice, and their landing must have exposed it and or drew it to them. Weiss's body was still acting like Weiss at the least.

"Weissy… let's go inside. Maybe it'll be warmer there." Neptune suggested, and as she walked he followed seemingly lifelessly despite his pace.

Once inside, there were murals of ancient combat rituals all over the walls. It was dark inside, but at the least it was only half as cold. Neptune looked around for anything that could be fire wood, made a pile, and looked around for something to light it with. Weiss moved taking the scabbard to his sword and struck it on the edge of the bade to send sparks onto the wood continuing to do so until they ignited. It seemed that Weiss's instinctual survival skills were still active despite the lack of a soul in him.

They sat down and Neptune leaned on Weiss. She didn't know if there was a way to get up and back to the surface. She didn't even know what continent they were on. The fire roared on and Neptune slowly fell asleep leaning on Weiss. She had no dreams, but did feel better even if it was just a shell of him by her. When she woke up she found his robe laying on her as he came back holding lumps of wood in his arms placing them on the fire. It was then that she saw it… his wedding ring on the necklace around his neck. She looked at her finger at her wedding ring and smiled. Then it hit her… how long had they been down there? How much time did she have left before her marriage officially expired? What would happen if it expired while Weiss was like this? She hated the thought, and began looking around while Weiss continued making firewood from the many furnishings in the area.

Neptune followed a staircase upstairs and saw that the temple had a winding structure up. Whether there was debris blocking the way was another story that'd require exploring. Neptune found a blanket in one of the second floor rooms and placed the wood Weiss had cut into it after using makeshift sewing to turn it into a sack that can be carried. It'd come in handy if they had to stop and warm up near the top of the temple. So up they began to travel despite the sheer height of the temple.

"Weiss… I know you won't respond to me probably… but I gave up being a goddess to love you. I know I don't know everything about love… Dos was right about that… but I can learn through experience. I probably should have told you sooner too, but… we would have been on a time limit anyway. According to the rules, if a goddess wants to marry they need to bear their partner's child within their first year of marriage or it becomes null and void. I guess only my HDD form would look appealing to you though." Neptune confessed to him as they climbed the stairs.

Once on the tenth floor they were still only half-way up the tower. It'd gotten colder as well, so they stopped for a short break to warm up. Neptune rested against Weiss watching the fire again, but this time he put his arm around her. She looked up at him, but his expression was still lifeless like his eyes. It was too much to hope for, but at least he'd had some sort of reaction. After half an hour of rest, they began heading up again. It was a long time before any visible progress could be seen in their ascent. Neptune could still see smoke rising from their initial camp site rising up the stairs. She'd try to make some small talk in an attempt to get some kind of reaction out of Weiss now and again, but was always met with silence.

Once they'd reached the 75% mark of the temple Neptune's wounds began acting up. She'd totally forgotten that she had them. Why were they acting up now though? Shouldn't they have opened once she got hut or when she was warped? Was it lingering adrenaline wearing off? Regardless, Weiss stripped her to her shock and tore off his robe's right sleeve to turn into individual straps to wrap her injuries in. She then put her clothes back on blushing as Weiss stood up with his arm now exposed. They continued on, although Neptune's body still ached a bit.

Neptune fell forward near the top, but Weiss caught her. He then lifted her like a bride and began carrying her. Neptune blushed as Weiss effortlessly carried her along with the sack of almost depleted wood. Finally, they reached the roof of the temple. It appeared sealed off with, but then Weiss set Neptune down to forcibly punch the ice apart. He lifted her again and carried her into the light of day. All around them was snow and a forest of gigantic mushrooms… Neptune knew this place… it was Mushroom Forest in Lowee! Neptune directed where Weiss needed to carry her, and in a short twenty minutes they arrived at the Basilicom. Neptune knocked on the doors comfortably from Weiss's arms. Blanc answered, and tears filled her eyes.

"Neptune! Where have you been?! Everyone's been looking for you!" Blanc shouted and then quickly got them inside.

Inside Neptune's wounds were properly addressed and she was given clothes that weren't stained by blood on the inside. She then had to explain what happened at the monastery with Weiss and Dos. It baffled Blanc how there could be two Weiss's at the same time, since she saw the demonic version with Dos as they went to Celestia. It'd been a full day since they'd vanished. That meant that at the current time, Neptune would only be married to Weiss for another sixteen hours! After that, her marriage would be null and void!

Neptune had a message sent to Histoire and Nepgear back in Planeptune, and stayed with Weiss in Lowee. Blanc understood the reason behind Neptune's actions, and actually admired her courage to pursue him. He was soulless, but his body was still reacting to her affection. Neptune tried to be wifely to Weiss in the final hours of it all. Nepgear and Histoire arrived at the one hour mark and got the full story of what'd happened after Neptune was warped away. Neptune hated that it was going to end without a fight. She'd tried numerous times in the past fifteen hours to get Weiss to make love to her, but it was all in vain it seemed.

The clock was counting down the last minute as the sun began to set. Neptune took Weiss's wedding ring off his necklace and put it on his finger so when she joined his hand with hers they'd both be wearing it. She kissed Weiss deeply shedding tears as the clock hit zero… and the color of their wedding rings faded from gold to a rusted brown. She rested her head on his chest sobbing… then Weiss hugged her tightly. There was emotion in his arms. Nepgear and Histoire gasped… Weiss was making a sad expression… and was crying. Neptune tried to pull away, but he held firm.

"Weissy… please…" Neptune sniffled.

"I'm not going anywhere." Weiss spoke startling all three of them.

Neptune managed to get a little freedom to move, and looked up to see Weiss's left eye had come back to life. Neptune began crying even more at the sight of his gaze.

"W-Weissy?" Neptune asked.

"My soul heard every word you said through me… it's being held captive by Dos, but a fragment managed to break off because of your actions. So why don't we go get the rest back?" Weiss suggested.

"How? She's using it to defend herself… and I'm human now…" Neptune sniffled.

"Neptune. If you truly love me, there is nothing about me she can use against us. You proved that you do when you were warped away. Your heart reached out and pulled the real me from that impostor's darkness." Weiss told her.

"She's still ridiculously strong…" Nepgear whimpered.

"There's a difference between me and that excuse for a body she has my soul in… it has predefined limits… I'm still technically cursed." Weiss smiled at her.

"You have no limits…" Neptune gasped.

"That's right. When we face Dos… I doubt it'll be an easy battle. I've never seen a goddess as strong as she was before. I like a challenge though." Weiss grinned.

"Bloodthirsty even before being cursed, huh?" Neptune joked, and Weiss kissed her.

"When all of this is over… let's renew our marriage. There's nothing in the rules saying we can't do that." Weiss suggested and Neptune blushed.

"T-That's true… it doesn't." Neptune smiled.

"I think we should revise that marriage clause anyway, along with a few other things. While I work on that, gather the goddesses to prepare for battle." Histoire ordered.

"I've already sent to Noire and Vert. They're on their way here already." Blanc told her walking outside.

"Weiss… about the day that kind of started this…" Neptune sighed.

"It's all right. Histoire was saving your bacon from my blade. It was really the act of pretending to love me that ticked me off." Weiss told her.

Soon Vert and Noire arrived accompanied by Uni, Auron, and Azazel. All were equipped for battle. It was time to sit down and create a battle plan, because the portal to Celestia is in Planeptune… which meant that they likely had something waiting for them in the main city. Neptune was happy to have Weiss somewhat restored. His strategies weren't any less ruthless. He accounted for each area and ways to deal with it. They decided that at dawn, they'd make their way there and gun for Celestia no matter the opposition. That same night as they rested for battle, Neptune and Weiss weren't just sharing the same bed… but actually sleeping together, holding one another.

End Chapter 7 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Assault on Celestia!

It was a bit chilly that morning in Planeptune. Just as Weiss had anticipated, horrid machinations of Dos's power were roaming the city. The instant they were spotted the battle began. Oddly enough, these monsters seemed to be weak compared to what the goddesses had fought in the past. Was Dos toying with them, or did she really think they were that weak? No matter how it was sliced, they didn't like the fact that she was either super cocky or was leading them into a false sense of security.

It only took them a few hours to reach the Basilicom. Nepgear was holed up inside her room, which showed as there was thousands of scratch marks at her heavily reinforced door. Nepgear was in tears as she hugged Neptune, terrified of what had possibly happened plus the sudden monster attacks on the city. Neptune and Weiss then explained the game plan to her.

"Invade Celestia?!" Nepgear exclaimed.

"That's right. All of us are going, for the sake of Gamindustri!" Neptune replied with a beaming smile.

"Our best entry point to Celestia is through the Basilicom's underground." Histoire pointed out.

Once there, it was time for final decisions. If they had any reservations about going, they were to say them then and there. The cadets expressed fears about such a powerful enemy, but they were quickly reassured. Uni refused to be outdone by Auron in front of Noire, and Rom and Ram took comfort in Jack telling them if they were in trouble to call his name and he'd come running with his ax. Neptune was obviously nervous about it, since she was still mortal, and Weiss gently took her hand as Histoire opened the portal making Neptune blush a bit as she smiled. They then stepped through the portal and came out into the pearly palaces of Celestia. Angelic machinations were roaming about, and they could tell a harsh battle was ahead of them.

The battle raged immediately once a unit noticed them. The heavier fighters were at the front while the casters remained in the back. Jack, Weiss, Neptune, and White Heart showed very fast prowess in cutting down the enemy's heavy fighters. Rom and Ram were nearly three times as fast as their casters while Uni, Azazel, Auron, Black Heart, and Green Heart kept those that got past the front line at bay. For such weak enemies, there sure were a lot of them though. Once the third building was taken the door closed behind them and the other doors began to close. They made a run for it as enemies began to materialize inside. Black Heart got head off forcing her to put on the breaks and Auron leapt back to take them out resulting in the two being locked inside.

"Noire!" Neptune exclaimed.

"Go! Defeat Dos and we should be released! We'll hold out as long as we can!" Black Heart shouted, and Neptune shed a tear hurrying with the others onward to fight more units of enemy soldiers.

"That's a lot of 'em… I knew someone had to stay and help." Auron smirked readying for a fight with the spawning enemies.

"I-Idiot! It isn't like I asked you to!" Black Heart shouted.

"Deep down you wanted me to though, right?" Auron smiled, and she blushed a bit readying for combat.

In the next building they didn't delay as the same thing began happening. Rom tripped and Ram helped her up causing them to be surrounded. Jack cut them down as the door closed. More began materializing and Jack took a defensive stance around the girls.

"Blanc! They'll be safe with me! Take out Dos!" Jack shouted at the doors.

"You three come back alive, you hear me?!" White Heart shouted before regrouping with the others.

"Jack…" Rom whimpered.

"You girls focus on casting… I'll keep 'em at bay." Jack smiled.

The combat began to grow fiercer as their enemies grew in numbers as their numbers shrank. Was it Dos's plan to separate them and then overwhelm them? Regardless, they had to press on and make their way for the Grand Divinity Palace. The third building began the same process. That time Azazel and Green Heart stayed behind seemingly on purpose. Then they came to the fourth building before the palace. This time Nepgear and Uni willingly stayed as the doors closed.

"Uni, Nepgear!" Weiss shouted.

"Someone has to stay behind! Go!" Nepgear shouted back.

"Bullshit, there was plenty of time to go through the opening!" White Heart retorted.

"If they poured out of here and came from behind, fighting Dos would be that much harder! Trust in us to keep them off your back!" Nepgear shot back.

"Nepgear…" Neptune spoke shedding more tears.

"You two had better live! That way I can punish you for this stunt!" Weiss shouted.

They made their way forward up the steps of the Grand Divinity Palace encountering almost no resistance now. Once they reached the foyer it seemed empty except for knight statues. Those same statues then began coming to life as far down the way the doors began closing. They rushed ignoring the knights charging them. Weiss lifted Neptune, then White Heart starting to speed up. Three fourths of the way down the hall White Heart made Weiss let go of her as they went through the opening between the doors.

"It's like those two said… so give Dos one for me too." White Heart told them through the door turning to face the horde of knights.

The duo then made their way down the audience hall where Dos sat on a throne with Nightmare Weiss standing by her wielding a demonic claymore. They two stood at the steps to the throne and could only glare at them.

"Bow to your goddess…" Dos spoke.

"No." Weiss and Neptune told her.

"You know how futile it is to fight me, yes? Unlike you lesser goddesses, I truly am immortal. I cannot be killed, not even by losing my head. Trust me, heroes have tried in the past." Dos smirked.

"Oh yeah? Then why did you have to be revived? That implies that someone found a way." Neptune retorted.

"If someone found a way before, then we'll do the same here and now." Weiss added readying his sword.

"You think having a worthless copy of my GSU will save you?" Dos scoffed snapping her fingers.

Nightmare Weiss then leapt at Weiss and he back flipped to the center of the audience hall beginning a fierce battle between the two. The two swung hard enough to send shock waves with each clash of their blades. Dos then grabbed Neptune by the neck lifting her up and she kicked Dos's solar plexus making her drop her so she could roll back from her.

"You mortal brat…" Dos growled.

"Just because I'm not a goddess anymore doesn't mean I'm helpless in a fight against someone like you." Neptune growled back.

Just like before, Dos was a very powerful foe that fights exchanging hand-to-hand combat with spellcasting on the fly. Neptune had to choose her close-ins perfectly if she didn't want a nasty encounter with a spell just to land a hit or two. Weiss was seeing just how much trouble many had fighting him as Nightmare Weiss mirrored his moves perfectly and without fail. It was more of a deadlock than a fight between the two. Even their skills cancelled each other out. The fighting seemed to be going nowhere between them as Neptune's mortal stamina really started to show.

"Mortals are always mortals…" Dos giggled readying to blast her when Weiss's sword stabbed her side making her scream in agony.

"Lady Dos!" Nightmare Weiss exclaimed giving Weiss the opening to palm strike him sending him to the far wall.

"Weiss…" Neptune spoke catching her breath.

"D-Damn you… double-sided wounds are a pain to heal!" Dos roared throwing his sword at him, only for him to catch it perfectly.

"You may be the original goddess… but that doesn't make you the best. I've seen false gods and real gods… and none of them are the best. They have flaws, ways to anger them, ways to make them let their guard down… and you're no different. That wound I gave you is proof." Weiss told her with a glare.

"Mortals… I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" Dos roared blasting magic at him only for Neptune to slash off her arms at the elbows cutting off the spell making her roar in frustration lashing kicks at Neptune as Nightmare Weiss charged Weiss again.

The fighting became fiercer as Neptune saw Dos's injuries healing on their own as her arms began to regrow from the root of her elbows. Nightmare Weiss's movements were more erratic now, making him far more vulnerable to Weiss's counterattacks. Weiss started becoming faster the more injuries he made on Nightmare Weiss. He eventually knocked his GSU self into Dos allowing Neptune to make a serious wound in Dos's torso making her howl in pain.

"You… how is this possible…? You're the strongest fighter in Gamindustri!" Dos howled at Nightmare Weiss.

"You may have Weiss's soul… but you'll never have his heart, the source of his indomitable will." Neptune told her.

"A goddess like you who thinks love only happens once… will never be stronger than Neptune, who went the distance to feel it for herself. She gave up divinity because she felt the void in her heart… the void humans are naturally born with that gives us the desire to feel wanted. She looked into my past, and saw what it was that I wanted so desperately that day that I'd eaten that fruit without giving it a second thought. In being revered as a monster, a demon with a taste for the blood of my fellow man, the void in my heart became so big that my mind could no longer recognize it." Weiss added aiming his sword at them.

"You… YOU KNOW NOTHING!" Dos roared making a strong wind begin blowing them back.

Weiss stabbed his sword into the floor and held onto Neptune. The wind grew fiercer as Dos grabbed Nightmare Weiss and kissed him. A bright light engulfed them, and when it faded Dos was revealed to have achieved a new form. Her HDD units seemed to have upgraded, turning a crimson red with pitch black code running in the veins. Their design changed forcing them to make Dos look more like the devil than a goddess. Her skin was now a chocolaty brown, her hair was dark purple, and her eyes were glowing bright amber. In her left hand she wielded a massive spear, and in the other a massive sword. This had to be the earliest instance of a NEXT form!

"Now… you will both perish… and I will remake Gamindustri the way it was meant to be… a paradise with only one goddess!" NEXT Dos roared appearing to have multiple voices making all of Celestia rumble.

"So… a GSU does more than just support their goddess…" Weiss commented.

"They can outright fuse with them to make them more powerful…" Neptune added shaking a bit, and that make Weiss firm his grip on her.

"It doesn't matter how strong she becomes. I won't stop loving you even if we die here today." Weiss assured her.

Those words caused a reaction in Neptune's heart. Mortal body free of divine rules though she had, her heart was still wired like a goddess. Weiss wasn't the least bit afraid of Dos if she was there, and that made love sweep over her heart. The metaphorical gears inside of her heart began to whir, and metaphorical sparks began to fly turning on the metaphorical power button. Neptune began to glow, and then she transformed startling Dos.

Neptune's form grew to match Weiss's height, her hair turned deathly pale purple going down to her knees in three separate braids, her HDD suit was full-body and colored black with an equally pale purple accentuation to it. The armor units to her form were reminiscent of an angel of black plumed wings. Her sword became very much like a katana with a wider and longer than usual blade colored black and neon purple. Her expression now had a very mature aura to it as the stood there by Weiss. Purple Heart had been updated!

"Weiss. Do you believe we can defeat her?" Purple Heart asked.

"With you beside me, I could take on an entire planet." Weiss replied.

"DIE!" Dos roared charging the two.

The battle raged with Purple Heart moving faster than she's ever been able to move. Weiss was moving just as fast showing how skilled NEXT Dos's multitasking ability was fighting both at the same time. Her skills were vastly more powerful compared to theirs, forcing them to dodge when she'd use them. After a while Weiss noticed that Dos was slowing down a bit. He didn't understand it, but exploited it forcing NEXT Dos to put more emphasis on blocking him. More and more NEXT Dos started slowing, and even Purple Heart noticed and began to exploit it. NEXT Dos roared becoming angrier hitting harder despite her speed continuing to go down.

"You're slowing down, Dos… I guess older processors can't compete with newer ones." Purple Heart sighed.

"Silence!" NEXT Dos roared continuing to lash at them, but was now too slow to even nick them.

"Sure, if the battle doesn't last long you'll be more powerful… but if it goes beyond a point your processing power begins deteriorating." Weiss pointed out managing to knock the spear from her hands.

Dos roared furiously attacking him, only for Purple Heart to cleave her sword in two. Dos roared striking at Purple Heart knocking her sword away from her tackling her to the wall. Purple Heart began to glow, and suddenly she was able to throw Dos off and palm strike her knocking her skidding across the chamber.

"What is this…? Suddenly my head's filling with combat knowledge…?" Purple Heart spoke looking at her hand.

"I wonder… is this part of what a GSU can do?" Weiss spoke as NEXT Dos growled angrily, and then she suddenly reverted to her normal state.

"No… no… how…?" Dos growled as Weiss then began to glow and life returned to his other eye.

"Explain, since you clearly know, Dos…" Purple Heart demanded.

"He was mine… my perfect fighter…" Dos growled.

"I see. With no body to seal my soul in, it naturally returned to where its heart was. That also granted me a degree of GSU abilities due to you altering me… such as passing knowledge and abilities to my goddess partner. She has full access to my library of combat knowledge while in HDD…" Weiss pieced together.

"I feel it… there are roughly 9999 ways to kill a man with a weapon… let's see which one can kill a goddess…" Purple Heart spoke with a glare.

Purple Heart began moving at blurred speed carving into Dos. She regenerated time after time, but she noticed that with each subsequent injury her wounds would last longer and longer. She really was running a very outdated HDD system. Her HDD form couldn't sustain regenerating continuous injuries at the same rate, and was starting to crash due to the obscene number of wounds to close. Before long, Dos went into her human form showing how old she was. It showed that her youth was contained in her HDD form. Purple Heart actually felt bad for her, and with her human form exposed ended it. With no divinity left due to her prolonged HDD usage, her body wasn't able to stop it from being fatal. Purple Heart returned to being Neptune, and she walked with Weiss to the foyer where Blanc was barely conscious using her hammer to remain standing.

"Is it over…?" Blanc asked.

"Yeah." Neptune replied and then subsequently caught Blanc as she passed out.

They walked back through Celestia seeing that all of Dos's minions had ceased to function or spawn with her passing. The doors were no longer sealed either. It seemed that everyone was worn out from the battle. Noire somehow still had the energy to chew out Auron for carrying her insisting she could walk, though Auron did point out she fell on her face the last time he put her down. Vert was happy to be carried bridal style from the room she and Azazel were trapped in. Uni and Nepgear's clothes were in tatters, to their dismay. Rom and Ram were virtually unharmed, but Jack was covered in injuries as a result stating that if they weren't hurt it was worth it. When they returned to the Planeptune Basilicom they were immediately drilled by Histoire for a report on what happened.

"Histy. I want you to do me a favor. Find where it is in the book that keeps us from really falling in love… and change it so that we're completely free to feel love again. I reclaimed my divinity and still love Weiss, but the others can't freely give their hearts without giving up divinity first and that's such a hassle." Neptune asked.

"I'll have it done within the hour, as I installed an appendix to my book last year to make finding certain sections easier." Histoire replied with a smile.

"Can you fix that pregnant within a year thing too?" Weiss asked.

"Of course." Histoire replied happily.

After Histoire confirmed that both had been taken care of, Neptune and Weiss set up to restore their marriage. It was a joyous event for Planeptune, even if the Neptune Fanclub mourned the loss of Neptune's loli body simultaneously. At the least, you could tell that she was the older sister now. Histoire didn't tell anyone, but she also fiddled with how one becomes a GSU. Rather than the goddess being able to appoint several, her GSU would now be her spouse. Said spouse would then gain the same immortality that their lover possesses so that they are eternally together without worry of outliving the other.

"Weissy…?" Neptune asked in a soft voice as they lay in bed.

"Yes?" he replied.

"I want a baby." Neptune spoke, and Weiss went pale.

"A-A baby is a lot of responsibility…" Weiss told her nervously.

"We can have Nep Jr babysit while we go on jobs… she seems content with the idea of being an auntie, too." Neptune smiled climbing on top of him.

"Neptune… shouldn't we at least wait a while for things to calm down? The city is still rebuilding, and will require our attention…" Weiss argued nervously.

"Wouldn't knowing their goddess is pregnant spread the fact I'm fertile across the continent? It'd make them want to get it built as fast as possible so the little demigod that'll be born grows up in a beautiful city." Neptune countered with a beaming smile.

"There's no winning with you…" Weiss sighed.

"I can't help it… my heart's bursting with love since I can actually feel it now. It's overflowing… and it's causing my womanhood to thirst for you…" Neptune smiled.

"If I agree to a child… you'll agree to drop being lazy cold turkey." Weiss told her.

"T-That's a steep price…" Neptune chuckled nervously.

"A child quickly takes after their parents, you know. Don't want the future of Planeptune to turn out lazy and useless in a crisis, right?" Weiss smirked.

"Drat… f-fine! I'll try my best to stop being lazy! S-So we can… right?" Neptune asked with heart-shaped pupils.

"I'll hold you to your end of the deal." Weiss smiled before kissing her deeply rolling on top.

Peace seemed to flow through the land. While Planeptune had all of the bad luck on this adventure, its survival did have an effect on the other continents. The changes to goddess rules broke the "close friend" barrier that'd formed with the other goddesses and their partners. This would lead to events that would be instrumental to taking care of a future nightmare. Of course… that is another story at a different time in Gamindustri. This story was the blossoming love of the goddesses. With this tale coming to a close… we'll end with one final bit of information… Blanc got knocked up first.

~Fin~


End file.
